Toxic leadership has emerged as a significant focus in organizational research, marking a shift away from idealized leadership models toward a more critical evaluation of harmful and unethical leadership behaviors. While defining toxic leadership remains complex, scholars widely agree that it encompasses actions that undermine trust, harm employees, and weaken organizational integrity. A particular subset of toxic leadership is Machiavellian leadership, characterized by strategic manipulation, control, and self-serving tactics. However, research indicates an inversion of expectations, where low Machiavellian behavior is sometimes perceived negatively due to the normalization of toxic workplace interactions. This suggests that organizational cultures may reinforce or tolerate toxicity, creating environments where harmful leadership traits are mistaken for competence or strength. Traditional studies often portray followers as passive recipients of toxic leadership, but emerging research recognizes their role in perpetuating or even driving dysfunction within organizations. Some followers enable toxic behaviors, creating a cycle that sustains harmful leadership. By synthesizing diverse perspectives, this chapter develops a more precise and contextualized model of toxic leadership, showing that behaviors deemed toxic in one setting may be valued in another. Reevaluating toxic leadership requires examining psychological, relational, and contextual factors that shape workplace interactions. Future research must explore how organizations can dismantle toxic norms and foster leadership approaches that balance authority with ethical responsibility.