Cracks in leadership: a systematic mapping of toxic leadership literature

Purpose While several reviews have examined unidimensional negative leadership styles such as abusive supervision and authoritarian leadership, toxic leadership, defined as a multidimensional construct, remains underexplored. It encompasses a broader spectrum of destructive behaviors that narrower constructs fail to capture. Despite growing awareness of its harmful effects on workplace dynamics, a comprehensive and integrative analysis is lacking. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature on toxic leadership over the past 22 years, offering the first known hybrid review in this area. Design/methodology/approach This review was conducted in two stages. Stage 1 involved a bibliometric analysis of 256 articles using VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) to identify keyword patterns, influential clusters and highly cited publications. Stage 2 included an interdisciplinary review of 38 full-text articles, analyzed using the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics and Methodology) framework to evaluate theoretical foundations and methodological trends. Findings The bibliometric analysis revealed three research clusters: toxic and destructive leadership, nurse leadership and workplace dynamics, and leadership, emotions and workplace relationships. The TCCM analysis showed dominance of social exchange and conservation of resources theories, with quantitative methods prevailing and healthcare as the main context. Although interest in toxic leadership is growing, gaps remain in theoretical diversity and contextual application. Originality/value This pioneering hybrid review offers a comprehensive perspective on toxic leadership, clearly distinguishing it from related constructs. Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 8, it highlights the relevance of toxic leadership to organizational sustainability and employee well-being, offering insights for research, policy and practice.