Toxic Culture

The Culture of Work Is Making Us Ill — Leadership Must Change.

In The Myth of Normal, Gabor Maté presents a powerful argument: many modern societies are becoming increasingly toxic to the human organism.

Despite material progress and technological advancement, even the most developed nations are experiencing rising levels of chronic illness, mental health struggles, and emotional distress. Maté’s conclusion is difficult to ignore: the cultural systems we have built are often misaligned with human needs.

Work — and the way we lead within it — is a major part of that culture.

If we pause long enough to examine the “water in which we are swimming”, the reality becomes hard to miss. Work dominates a large portion of adult life. Leadership practices therefore shape not only performance and productivity, but also the psychological and physiological wellbeing of millions of people.

Simple arithmetic makes this clear. Most adults spend the majority of their waking hours at work. During that time they operate within environments shaped by leadership decisions — priorities, expectations, behaviours, and norms.

Research also suggests that the effects of workplace experiences do not remain contained within working hours. The phenomenon known as spillover shows how stress, wellbeing, and emotional states generated at work transfer into home life, relationships, and broader wellbeing.

Leadership therefore has consequences far beyond the office.

At Glasshouse People, we believe leadership practice sits at the centre of this issue. How leaders think, behave, and design working environments directly shapes the lives of those who work within them.

For this reason, much of our work focuses on one central question:

How should leadership actually be practised if we want organisations to succeed while human beings thrive?

To explore this question, we have developed a framework called the Glasshouse Leadership Guidance System.

The model recognises that leadership operates at the intersection of four interconnected systems, captured in the acronym ATOM.

The ATOM Model of Leadership

A — Anthropic

Leadership does not occur in isolation from the broader human context.

Evolutionary psychology, social dynamics, cultural norms, and political forces all shape how humans behave in groups and institutions. These influences create both constraints and opportunities for leadership.

Understanding human nature — rather than ignoring it — is fundamental to effective leadership.

T — Team

Teams are the immediate social environment in which leadership is experienced.

Psychological safety, trust, communication patterns, and shared norms all emerge within teams. These dynamics have a powerful influence on both performance and wellbeing.

For many people, their team leader has a larger daily influence on their lives than any other authority figure.

O — Organisation

An organisation is not simply the sum of its teams.

It is a system in its own right — composed of structures, incentives, processes, policies, rituals, and cultural narratives. These elements shape behaviour at scale and often determine whether good leadership intentions succeed or fail.

Leaders must therefore think systemically, not just interpersonally.

M — Me

Finally, leadership begins with the individual.

Leaders are themselves complex human systems — shaped by beliefs, emotions, experiences, and personal narratives. How a leader understands themselves, manages pressure, and continues their own development directly influences how they lead others.

Self-awareness and personal responsibility are therefore central to leadership practice.

A Different Vision for Leadership

We believe that leadership carries an extraordinary responsibility.

Every day, millions of people work under the influence — the shadow — of leaders. The way leadership is practised can elevate people, or slowly diminish them.

If leadership is practised through a deeper understanding of the systems within which it operates — Anthropic, Team, Organisation, and Me — it can become a force for genuine human flourishing.

This belief sits at the heart of everything we do.

And it is why we are building The Glasshouse.

The Glasshouse is a growing community of leaders who recognise the need for change. Leaders who want to influence the lives of those they lead positively. Leaders who believe that success should not come at the cost of human wellbeing.

It is a place for those who want to lead with humanity, substance, and integrity — and who want to help reshape how leadership is practised in the modern workplace.

If that resonates with you, we invite you to join the conversation.