High toxicity leadership: Borderline personality disorder and the dysfunctional organization

This paper aims to assess highly toxic personality disorders in leaders, implications for organizations, and methods for assessment and intervention.

Action research was used, including a thick description case study narrative and application of the DSM IV‐TR.

Personality disorders are a source of a highly toxic and dysfunctional organizational behavior; borderline personality disorder in a leader may serve as a systemic contaminant for an organization.

A qualitative, case study approach may not lend itself to replication or quantification; usage of the DSM IV‐TR requires clinical training in counseling psychology; the growing incidence of personality disorders in leadership warrants cognizance, ability to assess, the creation of early detection systems and methods of intervention.

Through the narrative of a case study researchers and practitioners can obtain a glimpse into the day‐to‐day operations and nuances of a highly toxic leader and how it impacts an organization; interventions and solutions are provided.

This paper calls attention to highly toxic leadership and organizational dysfunction by investigating borderline personality disorder as a prototype.