The Signs of a Workplace Bully Leader
Bullying in the workplace has become an important topic in today’s world of leadership. Many of us have experienced workplace bullying during some time in our careers.
Today, I am going to discuss the warning signs of Workplace Bully Leaders to increase awareness.
What is Workplace Bullying?
According to Wikipedia Workplace bullying is a persistent mistreatment pattern from others in the workplace that causes either physical or emotional harm. It can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, psychological, physical abuse, and humiliation. This type of workplace aggression is particularly difficult because, unlike the typical school bully, workplace bullies often operate within the established rules and policies of their organization and their society. In the majority of cases, bullying in the workplace is reported as having been by someone who has authority over their victim. However, bullies can also be peers, and occasionally subordinates.
Signs of a Possible Workplace Bully Leaders:
- Demeaning, disrespectful, and devaluing employees capabilities
- Public ridicule, sarcastic, insults, name-calling, threats, and intimidation
- Targeting and creating social isolation with staff
- Blaming, lying, gossiping, spreading rumors and whispering
- Failing to give credit to employees for their work
- Overloading targeted employee with a huge workload
- Micro-Manages and commands respect without earning it
- A know it all
Bully leaders create isolation and silo work environments. They divide staff and departments to keep control.
Why don’t people speak up? Employees are afraid of losing their jobs.
Bullying by leadership has several physical and behavioral health issues for the targeted employees.
Warning Signs of an Employee Being Bullied:
- Becomes less socially active or confident
- Appears scared, stressed, anxious or depressed
- Calling out sick more frequently than normal
- Physical signs of tension such as headaches, backaches, not sleeping well, and suicidal thoughts
If bullying is unaddressed, the aggression and unresolved conflicts will continue to escalate. When not dealt with, it causes adverse effects on the targeted workers – maybe even psychological, financial and physical burdens.
The Results to the Employers:
- High Turnover and Absenteeism
- Low Productivity
- Lack of Creativity
- Legal Costs
- Damaged Reputation
If you recognize Workplace Bully Leaders in your organization or within yourself:
Here are a few tips to encourage behavioral change for this type of leadership style.
- Sit down with them and discuss the behavior you have observed
- Ask questions, give feedback on their management style and suggestions on how to improve engagement with staff
- Set a zero-tolerance approach to workplace bullying
- Build trust and open-door policies to discuss bullying
- Schedule leadership training courses, primarily on bullying – Udemy.com
- Schedule emotional intelligent courses – Udemy.com
- Schedule interpersonal communication courses – Udemy.com
- Schedule conflict resolution courses – Udemy.com
- Schedule constructive criticism courses – Udemy.com
- Read John C. Maxwell Relationships 101 book
- Get them a mentor who is a successful leader
- Hire a leadership coach to help them succeed
Takeaway:
Bullying promotes an atmosphere of fear, vulnerability, anxiousness, and uncertainty. Awareness is the key to change. Develop a zero-tolerance workplace accompanied by training, coaching, and mentoring to display compassion, empathy, safety, and trust.
Have you had a Workplace Bully as a Boss?
If yes, How did they make you feel?
How did you overcome it?
Answering these questions above and sharing your experiences may help someone else dealing with a workplace bully.
Comments are always welcome and please share this post with your colleagues, friends, and family on your social networks! Sharing is caring.
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