No. 010: To The Toxic Leader
Caspar David Friedrich's The Lonely Tree (1822)
“You extinguished the passion I had for the one thing in my life I was truly great at.”
C.G.,
Where do I even begin?
You entered my life during a highly influential period, and yet, looking back, you were the primary force that dismantled my drive. You were supposed to be a leader—someone others could look up to and someone who drove positive change through mentorship. Instead, you extinguished the passion I had for the one thing in my life I was truly great at.
As the years have passed, it has only become clearer how poor of a leader you actually were. Rather than finding ways to inspire, your tactics leaned on constant criticism and cheap jokes at the expense of others. You singled me out on multiple occasions, and for what? To get a few laughs from the group? You tried so hard to fit in and maintain a "presence" that you failed to do the one thing you were actually there to do.
All these years later, I hope you’ve learned the kind of damage that stems from such toxic leadership. I hope you’ve realized what can actually be accomplished when you choose to be a positive role model.
While I have no interest in ever seeing or speaking with you again, my hope is that you’ve finally analyzed your behavior and made changes—so that your weak tactics never cause someone else to lose their passion again.
— C
Submitted by: C