Last night, while reading Colin Ellis book Detox Your Culture, I learnt more about the concept of toxic positivity. 

It resonated deeply, taking me back to a recent conversation with a group of leaders working in middle management type roles. They described regularly feeling overwhelmed by their workload, regularly working late and at home in a vain attempt to keep up. Yet despite their best efforts, they were unable to meet their own standards and experienced an overriding feeling of failing – failing their teams, their ‘customers’, and, perhaps worst of all, their families. 

Perhaps more troubling, they felt unheard and unsupported by their line managers or the organisation, leaving them with a sense of helplessness.

One recurring message they heard was that “things will be better when we recruit to vacant roles.” While well-intentioned, this response highlights a key element of toxic positivity: the focus on a future solution – one that nobody really believes – without fully addressing the current reality. When leaders offer optimistic reassurances without acknowledging the immediate challenges, it can unintentionally dismiss employees’ experiences and lead to feelings of frustration, isolation, and burnout.

If we truly want to create thriving workplace cultures, we need to do more than offer promises about the future. We must actively listen, validate people’s concerns, and take meaningful steps to support them in the present. Empathy isn’t just about reassurance; it’s about taking action that addresses the here and now.

How do you balance optimism with genuine support in your organisation?