Purpose This study aims to develop a nuanced understanding of toxic leadership and masculinity contest cultures to create actionable solutions for organizational transformation. Design/methodology/approach Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study draws on in-depth interviews with sixteen middle-level managers from diverse industries. The study combines the algorithmic text analysis and retrospective leadership profiling to enhance analytic rigor and validate findings. Findings The analysis revealed three broad themes: organizational values, the reality divide, consequences and strategies to address toxic leadership and masculinity contest cultures. These findings informed the development of the “Resilience and Recovery” framework -a multi-level solution operating across individual, team and organizational dimensions to break the cycles of toxicity and foster cultural renewal. Practical implications The resulting framework equips leaders with evidence-based approaches to diagnose toxic patterns, implement targeted interventions and ultimately transform workplace cultures. Practical applications include mechanisms for identifying values-practice disconnects, rebuilding psychological safety and establishing new leadership paradigms that reject dominant behaviors in favor of inclusive practices. The findings offer both immediate utility for practitioners facing toxic workplace challenges and important theoretical insights for scholars studying organizational culture change. Originality/value While scholars have thoroughly documented the costs and characteristics of toxic leadership and masculinity contest cultures, this study develops a practical, actionable framework for organizational transformation. The study advances the field by demonstrating how employees' lived experiences can inform effective solutions and provide a roadmap for bridging the persistent gap between organizational behavior research.
Priya Chaudhary (Thu,) studied this question.