Oh gosh. I hear you. I haven't stepped into many roles that have been done by others, about 70% have been new roles. But the ones I have stepped into, boy has there been a legacy and often not good. People seem to remember the bad stuff far more than the good stuff and in stepping into previously worn shoes, you get tarred with the same brush.
Thanks for this and I love the reflective questions. I always include reflective questions in my weekly top takeaways newsletter!
Thanks so much for this article that connects to my work on low-morale experiences of formal leaders in libraries - legacy toxicity is defined in that study as “the dysfunctional environment inherited by a person who assumes a leadership position in a toxic organization or group. Such toxicity may not be effectively mitigated due to the previous incumbent’s role in a) engaging in or perpetuating abuse/neglect, b) already exhausting avenues to eradicate it, and/or c) organizational, group, or individuals’ conscious or unconscious resistance to the new leader’s attempts to reduce or eradicate the source(s) of toxicity.” (2023). I appreciate your expounding on how this plays out in organizations, and the long-term impacts (and time it takes) to mitigate, with some clarity: Legacy toxicity is surfaced not as a failure to create change, but happens as leaders are working to create positive change and/or while identifying pathways to deliberate positive efforts. It is imperative that legacy toxicity is also understood within a trauma-informed lens: because legacy toxicity occurs as a result of low-morale experiences (repeated, protracted exposure to workplace abuse and neglect - Kendrick 2017) - for folks sharing their low-morale experiences while leading, it's noted that common toxic behaviors (e.g. learned helplessness) stem from employees' responses to workplace harm from longstanding organizational toxicity (from past leaders or indirect formal leaders in the organization).
For folks who have experienced this, and want more insight on the lived experiences of this Low-Morale Experience Impact Factor, check out https://renewalslis.com/?s=legacy+toxicity
Oh gosh. I hear you. I haven't stepped into many roles that have been done by others, about 70% have been new roles. But the ones I have stepped into, boy has there been a legacy and often not good. People seem to remember the bad stuff far more than the good stuff and in stepping into previously worn shoes, you get tarred with the same brush.
Thanks for this and I love the reflective questions. I always include reflective questions in my weekly top takeaways newsletter!
Thanks so much for this article that connects to my work on low-morale experiences of formal leaders in libraries - legacy toxicity is defined in that study as “the dysfunctional environment inherited by a person who assumes a leadership position in a toxic organization or group. Such toxicity may not be effectively mitigated due to the previous incumbent’s role in a) engaging in or perpetuating abuse/neglect, b) already exhausting avenues to eradicate it, and/or c) organizational, group, or individuals’ conscious or unconscious resistance to the new leader’s attempts to reduce or eradicate the source(s) of toxicity.” (2023). I appreciate your expounding on how this plays out in organizations, and the long-term impacts (and time it takes) to mitigate, with some clarity: Legacy toxicity is surfaced not as a failure to create change, but happens as leaders are working to create positive change and/or while identifying pathways to deliberate positive efforts. It is imperative that legacy toxicity is also understood within a trauma-informed lens: because legacy toxicity occurs as a result of low-morale experiences (repeated, protracted exposure to workplace abuse and neglect - Kendrick 2017) - for folks sharing their low-morale experiences while leading, it's noted that common toxic behaviors (e.g. learned helplessness) stem from employees' responses to workplace harm from longstanding organizational toxicity (from past leaders or indirect formal leaders in the organization).
For folks who have experienced this, and want more insight on the lived experiences of this Low-Morale Experience Impact Factor, check out https://renewalslis.com/?s=legacy+toxicity