Abstract
In order to truly calculate the cost of allowing toxic personalities to operate within an organization, leaders must recognize the second and third-order effects that result when these people are left unchecked. This research explored how a toxic personality impacts an organization and focused on the effects of these personalities from two different aspects: the organizational and the individual. The goal was to draw attention to the extent of the impact these personalities can have on an organization's culture, climate, personnel, and overall performance. The repercussions resulting extend far beyond just fiscal aspects; they spread into the psychological and sociological realms, where the price paid by those personnel exposed to the toxic personalities is beyond measure.
