This dissertation answers the research question, “What personal characteristics can managers develop in their employees to minimize the impact of toxic leadership on employee performance?” Toxic leadership increasingly is a serious problem in organizations today. Behaviors associated with toxic leadership include intimidation, dishonesty, coercion, and punishment, etc. The persistent use of negative leadership behaviors contributes to a toxic workplace linked to negative changes in employee behaviors and attitudes ultimately causing a decrease in employee performance. A toxic workplace puts employees under stress and compels employees to cope with the toxic situation as best they are able at a cost of mental and emotional resources. The author sought to discover what personal characteristics were associated with those who maintain high performance and good attitudes while working under toxic leadership, and of those personal characteristics, which held potential to be developed in all employees through targeted management interventions. A systematic review of the literature was conducted employing realist synthesis as the analytic method. The conservation of resources (COR) theory was the theoretical framework used to develop a logical explanation for why various personal characteristics had the effect on employee resource management that they did. The author concluded that competency, mindfulness, and self-regulation all interact with each other to affect the employee’s ability to manage resources levels. Resource management capability helped ensure that employees had sufficient mental and emotional resources to be able to evaluate situations with better clarity, to make better coping decisions, and to sustain performance and attitude levels.