What Happens When You Reward Toxic Stars | Ep. 95 | The Science of Leadership

When leadership repeatedly celebrates and protects a toxic star producer, what lesson does everyone else in the room learn? In Part Three of this five-part series on managing difficult personalities, The Science of Leadership hosts Dr. Tom Collins and Dr. Justin Hamrick explore how organizational reward systems shape workplace culture and drive employee behavior. Using the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Service cycling team, Tom and Justin illustrate how an obsession with winning can normalize corrupt methods and toxic conduct. When leaders look the other way because results are high, they send a clear, unintended message: this is how you succeed here. They explore why collaborative employees stop going above and beyond when they feel like "suckers," why teams adapt to lower behavioral baselines, and how leaders can reset organizational standards before the entire culture erodes. Key topics include: The Lance Armstrong Lesson: How rewarding victories while ignoring the methods created a culture of complicity, fear, and eventual structural collapse. Espoused Values vs. Enacted Values: Why mission statements and posters on the wall mean nothing when day-to-day promotions reward selfish behavior. The "Sucker" Effect & Cultural Regression: Why collaborative workers disengage, stop sharing ideas, and adapt to self-focused behavior when they see selfish stars rewarded. 3 Landmark Behavioral Studies: Ethical Decision Making (Ashkanasy et al.): How organizational rewards and punishments signal acceptable conduct to managers. Social Learning Theory (Brown et al.): How ethical leadership directly impacts employee trust, dedication, and problem reporting. Self-Focused Climates (Biron-Graeber et al.): Proving that counterproductive behaviors among managers weaken ethical systems and create self-interested workplaces. The "Now What?" Action Plan: A 3-step blueprint to address high performers without dismissing their measurable achievements, hold your ground against egocentric pushback, and tie future promotions directly to how much they elevate their team. "Culture isn't created by what we print on the wall. It’s what we live out, what we tolerate, and what we reward. When selfishness is rewarded, everyone learns: this is how we do things around here." Tune in to discover how to align your lived values with your organizational expectations, protect psychological safety, and turn high-producing individuals from a disruptive force into team builders.   Also, I want to remind listeners to checkout my book, my latest book, "The Four Stars of Leadership Development Guide," whether used individually or as part of a group or cohort, this guide is built for leaders and emerging leaders who want more than ideas. If you are looking for a practical way to become more trustworthy, more credible, and more effective as a leader, this guide was written for you.   Don't miss out on this essential resource—order your copy today at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles and share your thoughts with me! Sharpen your leadership skills: Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app to ensure you don't miss an episode dedicated to helping you become a better leader. To learn more about the Science of Leadership, visit https://www.fourstarleaders.com/ References   Ashkanasy, N. M., Windsor, C. A., & Treviño, L. K. (2006). Bad apples in bad barrels revisited: Cognitive moral development, just world beliefs, rewards, and ethical decision-making. Business Ethics Quarterly, 16(4), 449–473. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq200616447   Bellora-Bienengräber, L., Radtke, R. R., & Widener, S. K. (2022). Counterproductive work behaviors and work climate: The role of an ethically focused management control system and peers’ self-focused behavior. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 96, Article 101275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2021.101275   Brown, M. E., Treviño, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.00