The bully boss is seemingly happy to hurt, persecute or intimidate others through their position, actions and directions, this ‘shit’ is aggressive and confrontational.
As with most of our ‘shits’, the bully boss is very deflective, being highly skilled at projecting their own failings on others – it may be an individual, the team, the function, the organisation, it depends on the context, but you can bet on one thing…the bully is never at fault, a ‘Teflon‘ approach to accountability.
The bully boss strips people of their confidence. They make everything feel personal, stalking and harassing those they are meant to lead. The bully is a mood hoover, sucking the life out of any room they enter.
Signs of a bully boss…
- Is proactive in creating conflict, it’s the environment that gives them an advantage and where they thrive
- Dominates interactions, utilises verbal or physical presence, along with authority and power to subjugate others
- Outspoken on others’ flaws, yet will not acknowledge any of their own – they want others to blame themselves for being targeted
- Believes they are correct on all occasions, will do whatever is required to overwhelm others’ views
- Micromanage all around them, they have no time for people challenging them – it will be viewed as an attack
- No respect for how they engage with others, they are there to do as they are told and as the bully pleases
Bully boss survival tips…
- Be prepared to face some challenging behaviour, develop some mechanisms and controls to enable you to let the ‘noise’ wash over you
- Don’t allow fear to inhibit your choices. You chose if you wish to make others’ aware of the situation and indeed if it is correct to continue working in such an environment – nobody has the right to treat another like a verbal punchbag
- Recognise and understand that their flaws are not your own
- Remain resolute, as much as you can, kill them with positivity
A bully boss scenario you may recognise…
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Leadershits Book – Lessons From Bad Leadership Experiences.
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