What great leaders don't do after you resign

If, after quitting your job, you hear or get notified about your ex-leader doing these :

1. Speaking negatively about your departure
2. Undermining your decision by criticizing you, your new role or company
3. Attempting to make you feel guilty
4. Spreading resentment throughout the organization
5. Taking the resignation as a personal attack
6. Prioritizing their own interests over those of the team
7. Being absent or unavailable for the team during the transition
8. Spreading gossip about you
9. Delaying or writing vague performance appraisals or recommendations for you
10. Displaying an "it's all about me" attitude
11. Failing to acknowledge their own mistakes or shortcomings
12. Blaming others for failures or problems within the team

These behaviours scream insecurity, selfishness, and a lack of confidence in building and retaining talent. They crush team morale, erode trust, and send a clear message to the rest of the team: 'You’re disposable too.'

It’s not just bad for the team—it’s bad for business.

Leaders who act this way torch bridges, kill future networking opportunities and stain their professional reputations. Word spreads fast. Negative reviews pile up, and soon enough, the organization's name takes a hit in the market.

And here’s the kicker: when companies let this kind of behaviour slide, they’re not just losing one employee—they’re poisoning the entire culture. Employees notice the lack of respect, and it spreads.

Soon, toxic leadership becomes the norm. Good talent walks out the door, while the rest stay stuck in a demoralizing environment.

So, to the companies hosting these managers, understand this: your culture is at risk.
Allowing this type of behaviour means accepting a cycle of low morale, high turnover, and a reputation that will be hard to shake.
Don’t wait until your best people walk out the door.

Fix it now, before it’s too late.