Not Quite My Tempo: Reframing Toxic Leadership Through Whiplash

Year 2025, Issue: 98, 131 - 151, 11.07.2025

Damla Köroğlu Ünver

https://doi.org/10.26650/imj.2025.98.1691361

Abstract

Toxic leadership is increasingly recognised as a serious threat to psychological well-being and ethical culture within organisations. Characterised by manipulation, emotional abuse and coercive control, such leadership styles are often normalised in high-performance or results-driven environments. This study examines the portrayal of toxic leadership in the film Whiplash, focusing on the intense and damaging dynamic between a music instructor and a student. Using document analysis as a method, the research systematically analyzes selected scenes to identify key leadership behaviours and their psychological consequences, including anxiety, dependency, and identity fragmentation. The analysis draws on a multi dimensional understanding of toxic leadership, emphasising patterns such as authoritarianism, verbal hostility, emotional unpredictability, and self-serving manipulation. The findings reveal that while toxic behaviours may be culturally rationalised as a means to achieve excellence, they ultimately undermine follower autonomy and mental health. The film’s narrative offers a compelling case for reevaluating how leadership can be defined, enacted, and rewarded. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of cinematic texts as reflective tools in leadership research and education.

Keywords

Toxic leadership , abusive supervision , film analysis , psychological trauma , qualitative research , leadership ethics

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