A bully is not someone who challenges the team to get better, but is rough around the edges. That type of person—the challenger—is someone you want to keep on your team. A bully, on the other hand, is the colleague who expects transparency from everyone else but themselves. It’s the person who has a poisonous tongue, who slams doors, and who uses fear to influence others. It’s the teammate who is willing to take every shortcut possible and whines when trouble comes as a result.
Why do companies tolerate bullies?
1. Bullies Produce Results
Bullies will do anything to ensure their ego is not damaged. They run over others to get quick results. But like a seed that falls on rocky ground, they sprout quickly yet have no roots. Systems and transparency are roadblocks to their success. They thrive in cultures that lack air-tight systems and are always fighting fires.
2. Bullies Manage Using Fear
Bullies do not hire strong team members. They only hire loyalists who struggle to think for themselves. If a bully is allowed to hire enough of these people, he is able to create a small island kingdom within the organization. The boss hesitates to remove the bully, fearing the house of cards will fall. Other managers shirk from addressing the bully behavior as well because they don’t want to be a target of the bully and his loyalists.
3. The Boss is the Bully
Bullies are very skilled at making more bullies. If a leader doesn’t show respect, then his followers can be rude as well. Over time, an entire culture of bullying is created and tolerated as long as the business keeps humming.
Note the signs of a bully culture: opaque information, fire-fighting, loyalty over honesty, fear, no respect. It does not have to be this way.
Make a Change: Vote with Your Feet
If the company is not willing to make a change, then leave the company. Often times, the only way a company will change its bully culture is when enough employees have voted with their feet to leave the company. It may not be the decision you want to make, but you will not achieve your potential in a bully culture.
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