A fish rots from the head down, and a toxic culture can have employees often feeling trapped in adverse situations beyond their control, evoking feelings of powerlessness and anxiety. Unfortunately, if you are in this situation, that likely means that it is not going to get any better. In fact, it will likely get worse, especially if there is not an attempt at meaningful change from leadership.

Detached leadership myopically prioritizes optics and profits, not the people which truly are an organization’s most valuable and important asset. Employees often operate within narrowly prescribed parameters, either begrudgingly accepting the stagnant reality or trying to take agency where possible. But individual agency can only go so far within a rigid and toxic cultural framework.

As problems mount, some organizations instead of addressing these issues, instead make hollow offerings. Beware the sudden influx of minor or superficial internal role changes, morale-boosting events that temporarily mask dysfunction, or my personal favorite planned concessions that fix one problem but create another. However, these solutions do not even begin to address the root cause of toxicity and is the equivalent of putting a band-aid over a bullet wound.

Of course, many employers do genuinely value their people and cultivate an environment for employees to grow and thrive. However, for unhealthy organizational cultures, nothing will ever substantially improve unless the enablers of toxicity fundamentally evolve or leave. As an employee, your main options are to either cling to the slim hope of unlikely positive change, or to proactively assert agency where possible and advocate for yourself in that organization, or outside of it.

In recent years, many workers have rejected unhealthy organizational dynamics by freely pursuing better opportunities elsewhere. I myself did just that. It wasn’t an easy decision or transition. Leaving a job means exchanging the relative certainty of a stable position for the potential of something unknown but hopefully better. It means jeopardizing reliable income for a chance at greater fulfillment.

Just the prospect of having to start over and depart an organization amplifies the anxiety. We’re conditioned from an early age to inextricably link our self-worth with our work. We’re taught that if we depart it could hurt our chances to get a new job, regardless of if it is justified or not. However, that mindset only holds power if you enable it and accept it as truth. Your value as a human far exceeds any value that comes from your employment.

Every organization has challenges and areas for improvement, but some completely lose sight of their people. If your workplace culture feels irreparably toxic, first take care of yourself mentally and emotionally, then carefully evaluate your options. In some cases that may ultimately mean deciding to move on. Your personal fulfillment and well-being matter most. Seek out organizations that will truly recognize and appreciate your talents — they do exist, even if it takes effort to find them.