A team’s culture is its soul—when it’s strong, everyone’s aligned, roles spark passion, and progress flows. But culture killers can crush that soul fast. In my opinion, undermining—disrespecting, sabotaging, or stealing someone’s shine—is the #1 poison, shredding trust. Micromanagement smothers autonomy, making people feel like cogs, not humans. Not to keep repeating myself, but I truly believe—treat people how you want to be treated—is the path to high level culture and that means leading with empathy and connection, not control or undermining. Poor communication fuels these killers, and leaders own the fix by building relationships and caring for successes. Let’s unpack the top five culture killers, why they destroy, and how to shut them down.
Why Culture Killers Hurt
They Fracture Unity: Killers like undermining throw off alignment and erode trust. A 2024 SHRM study says toxic behaviors cut productivity by 20%—teams unravel.
They Kill Trust: The Golden Rule—Treat people right—gets crushed when undermining or micromanagement festers.
They Halt Progress: Appropriate mindset stalls when culture’s broken. A team fighting or stifled can’t execute—it’s stuck. You cannot expect high level output when employees spend time protecting themselves.
Primary Culture Killers
Here’s what kills culture:
Undermining (The #1 Killer)
Undermining—gossip, stealing credit, dismissing good ideas—erodes trust and morale, called a “silent killer” by Forbes (70% of workers see favoritism fueling it).
Example: A coworker that listens into conversations claims another’s idea in a meeting. Coworkers feel betrayed, bonds break (or never form) and there is now dissent amongst the team.
Poor Communication (Confusion Sparks Chaos)
Vague goals, spotty updates, or no feedback breed mistrust, per SHRM’s 2024 study (58% of quits tied to communication failures). It’s the root of undermining, as info gaps fuel sabotage.
Example: Unclear project goals make teammates compete, undercutting each other.
Lack of Empathy (No Human Connection)
Treating people like tools, not humans, kills relationships. Without empathy—caring for whys and successes—undermining grows, as well as a general lack of connection and care.
Example: A manager ignores a worker’s passion for impact, assigning dull tasks. They disengage and eventually have a higher probability of leaving the company or becoming a toxic coworker.
Unresolved Conflicts
Letting disagreements linger, without pausing for info, turns issues into grudges, per Built In. Taking conflicts personally fuels undermining.
Example: Two reps fight over a client plan; leadership ignores it. Tensions grow, teamwork dies.
Micromanagement (Smothering Autonomy)
Micromanagement—hovering, controlling every detail—stifles trust and creativity, making people feel like cogs (61% report stress-induced illness). It signals distrust, killing engagement.
Example: A manager nitpicks every step of a worker’s project. So they shut down, disengage and stop making decisions, because they know at the end of the day, their work would be overridden anyway.
How Culture Killers Destroy
These killers don’t just sting—they gut the team:
Trust Collapses: Undermining (gossip, credit-stealing) and micromanagement make people feel used, not valued. Relationships fracture, no one’s got each other’s back because everyone is looking out for their own work..
Focus Splinters: Poor communication or unresolved conflicts derail the mission. You cannot have your eyes on long term goals in front of you when worried about the trust and relationships next to you.
Work Stalls: A strong execution mindset dies when undermining, micromanagement, or disconnection take over. A fractured team can’t deliver—it’s too busy fighting, playing defense and/or disengaged.
How Leadership Stops Culture Killers with Heart
Leaders build a culture where empathy and communication crush threats like undermining and micromanagement. Here’s the playbook:
Crush Undermining (Lead with Respect)
Call out undermining instantly. This might sound harsh considering everything else you may have read here, but I believe this is mandatory dismissal. An employee/teammate who knowingly undermines a coworker will NEVER be trusted and coworkers, no matter what level in chain of command, will never give top efforts with or for them. A standard of respect has to be set.
Communicate Relentlessly (Prevent Chaos)
Clear, heartfelt communication—goals, roles, feedback—stops misalignment and works to prevent undermining. Open forums and check-ins prevent info gaps that could fuel sabotage.
Fix: Define “client trust” as “95% satisfaction” and update daily. No room for confusion or sabotage.
Lead with Empathy (Connect as Humans)
Know your people’s whys and care about their successes, not just output. Assign roles that spark passion and communicate how they fit the mission.
Fix: A worker loves to “making a difference.” Assign them to lead a client project, show you care—they thrive, bonds grow.
Resolve Conflicts with Care (Mediate Fast)
Handle disagreements by pausing to share info—most stem from missing data—and keep it professional, not personal. Mediate with empathy, per your mom’s rule, ensuring everyone’s heard.
Fix: Two teammates clash over priorities. Pause, share data, talk with respect—team realigns, relationships hold.
Empower, Don’t Smother (Kill Micromanagement)
Trust your team’s abilities and avoid hovering. Communicate clear expectations, then step back, giving autonomy to spark engagement and block micromanagement’s chill.
Fix: Set clear goals for a project, check in with trust, not control. Then team owns it and morale soars.
My Call
Culture killers like undermining and micromanagement rip a team’s soul apart, but leadership—rooted in relationships, and caring for each other’s successes—can overcome and show positive steps forward, which sets a proper framework. Set a clear mission, assign roles appropriately, and drive execution with thorough, thoughtful communication. Undermining thrives in silence and builds divides within the teams, so keep channels open and share info without smothering, keep it professional. Micromanagement kills autonomy, so empower, don’t control. Lead with heart, not ego. Leaders who connect as humans build cultures that pulse with purpose. Miss this, and you’ve got a team sniping or suffocating, not succeeding. Nail it, and your squad’s a family, executing with care for the team member on the left and right. Leaders, own the culture, care deep, and make it real.