Your Culture Isn’t Toxic, It’s Dysregulated

We throw the word “toxic” around a lot these days… toxic boss, toxic team, toxic culture. But what if that’s not actually what’s going on?

What if your team is just dysregulated and experiencing repetitive fight, flight or freeze environments?

There’s a difference between the two which is why it’s important to make the distinction so you can find the best pathway forward.

Toxic implies there’s no fixing it with “everyone” being the problem thus creating a system broken beyond repair. Not a good look or a good outlook.

Dysregulation, on the other hand, can be addressed. It means your people are operating from survival mode and their nervous systems are most likely fried. There’s probably a lack of clarity, consistency and trust where people are reacting to the instability, not causing it.

This reframe changes everything.

When a culture is dysregulated, the solution isn’t to fire everyone and start over or turn the other way. It’s to rebuild with psychological safety, stability, nervous system support and emotional regulation. That’s what creates a functional culture, one where people actually want to show up and contribute. One where you don’t need forced values printed on a poster because the values are embodied in how people treat each other from bottom up and top down.

Here’s what a dysregulated culture looks like:

• Passive-aggressive behavior is rampant because direct communication doesn’t feel safe

• Teams are exhausted, not just from the workload, but from the emotional labor of managing constant change and unclear expectations

• People aren’t lazy…they’re bracing for the next blow-up, the next pivot, the next rug pull

• Leaders are checking out or micromanaging everything, because no one trusts the system to hold itself

You don’t fix this with more HR policies or another feel-good midday lunch party.

You fix it by understanding how human systems work and stabilize the nervous system, vision and communication. You build trust through consistency, not charisma or false promises. Real vibrant culture comes from the inside out so you can enjoy retention and team sustainability.

So take a deeper look and create a pathway forward that's sustainable for everyone.