TITLE:
Destructive Leadership in Sport: Reimagining the Toxic Triangle
AUTHORS:
Tara M. Tietjen-Smith, Samantha Gorse Roberts, Haley Nichole Blount
KEYWORDS:
Toxic Leaders, Followers, Integrity, Sport Corruption, Conducive Environments
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Leadership,
Vol.14 No.4,
December
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: Sport is replete with examples of leaders who push the boundaries of ethical leadership. The concept of toxic, or destructive, leadership has been extensively discussed in the fields of business, politics, and the military, but not as greatly in the sports industry. The applicability of the Toxic Triangle (Padilla et al., 2007) model is discussed and expanded in the context of sport. The three parts of the model include destructive leaders, conducive environments, and susceptible followers. Adaptations to the Toxic Triangle in all three areas of the model are highlighted and analyzed, and a new version of the model, Toxic Triangle of Sport Management (TToSM), is proposed.