The ceo of an investment house hired a senior sales person at considerable remuneration—he wanted a product he had developed to increase its market share. Despite a sales improvement in one year of 200 per cent, directly attributable to the new hire, the chief executive started listening in to her calls, without telling her, to make sure she was selling correctly. He asked her staff to start reporting directly to him—and in meetings he would shout at this manifestly successful executive. His problem was an inability to believe that anyone, apart from him, could deliver.

The depressed sales executive told me this story during a coaching session. What had she done to deserve such opprobrium? Nothing. She had just encountered one of the many toxic leaders alive and kicking in the public and private sector.

Apart from this "control freak", other leadership nightmares include the "social misfit", who loves a process but cannot motivate a person, the "smiler", who wants everyone to like them and is unable to manage poor performers, and the "meddler", who wants to know every detail about every operation.

My coaching company, Ros Taylor Ltd, surveyed 1,500 employees in January to find out what employees think of their bosses. Seventy seven per cent of respondents say their boss is not interested in them; 79 per cent claim their boss does not set clear objectives; 90 per cent believe their boss does nothing about poor performers; and 89 per cent say their boss lacks innovation and is unreceptive to new ideas. Just 15 per cent think their boss is any good. When asked what would turn their boss around, 10 per cent said any leadership skills whatsoever would make a difference.

Bad behaviour happens when there is a skills vacuum. Most people's skills are inherited, or learnt in the home. It is a scary prospect that, when under pressure, we will behave just like our parents. Genetic pot luck is not good enough for senior professionals who are constantly under pressure and on whom many livelihoods depend.

The answer is effective training and development delivered in advance of a promoted or new post—effective being the crucial word. I am shocked that courses and coaching are rarely evaluated by companies.

Bad training might as well be no training. A director of a telecoms company mentioned the other day that its executives had been overindulged with leadership training. They must be fabulously skilled, I suggested. "Oh no, it hasn't made a whit of difference," she replied. "They are still moronic."

Five ways to deal with a toxic executive

• Confront toxic leaders using feedback from staff and peer groups.

• Hire effective coaches who really make a difference. Speak to previous clients.

• Help all leaders in organisations to understand their leadership styles and strengths and get back up for their weaknesses. One size does not fit all.

• Understand that toxic leaders have little realisation that they create mayhem. They are often struggling and stressed.

• Anyone who boasts, "I don't suffer fools gladly", can be identified as on the road to toxicity.