Here are the telltale signs the team you're leading is a Saboteur Team:

Members of the team are constantly complaining about each other
Team members spend as much time watching their back as doing the work
People make plays behind the scenes, undermining and sabotaging one another
Suspicion and mistrust pervade every interaction; it seems like there are a lot of personal agendas
People avoid working together and seem to dread team meetings
Teammates would be perfectly happy to see others on the team fail; they criticize and point out the faults and failures of fellowteam members

If this sounds like the team you lead, it's time to do something, because Saboteur Teams destroy value at every turn and they are miserable experiences for everyone on them:

Morale suffers and good people quit
Strong candidates don't join the team because of its bad reputation
Critical problems don't get addressed because no one feels safe bringing up the tough issues
Decisions are made covertly or seem highly political
There's little to no risk-taking or innovation

If you lead a Saboteur Team, it's up to you to turn it around. The good news is, improving your team is doable and it's definitely worth it. Your main challenge as the leader is to change the dynamic by enforcing a no-tolerance policy on destructive behavior, rebuilding trust, setting clear standards and defining a shared purpose. Here are five steps to get your team out of this highly dysfunctional place:

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5 steps to fix a toxic team

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