How to Handle Leadership Bullies
Dealing with Difficult People, Leadership, Working with BossesThere’s a line in the movie G.I. Jane where one of the characters says to the heroine, “When I want to know your opinion, I’ll tell you.” Unfortunately, this describes too many managers who think they are leading but in reality are only bullying the people who work for them.
This type of leadership bully comes in all sizes, shapes and genders. Their main thrust is to tell others what to think and usually this means having the same viewpoint as the leadership bully. These people don’t seem to understand that telling someone what to think is not the same as listening to someone express their own reasoned opinions.
Group Think
Telling promotes group-think while leading encourages individual input. Group-think occurs when team members make decisions without weighing all the facts, especially when those facts contradict the majority opinion.
Group-think cultures cause so many of the problems we see in organizations today. When it becomes more important to have consensus than it is to have frank and open input generated from team discussions, then that organization is headed down a dangerous and disastrous path.
Ethical Leadership
Valuing individual input is the hallmark of ethical leadership. Ethical leadership gives team members an opportunity to express their opinions and to stand on those opinions if they are so inclined.
From ethical leaders come ethical teams and ethical organizations, and in the long run fewer headaches and problems.
How to Handle Leadership Bullies
—Analyze your situation. Do you have the viewpoint or critical input needed to assist the team and leader to make an informed decision?
—Take constructive action to stop group-think. Unless you to break the cycle, it will continue. Identify your team or work unit’s core values; then apply those values when making decisions. Control and shape your own ethical behavior by developing an inner life of integrity.
—Help others on your team work together for the common good. Develop a written code for how the team will solicit and give input when making decisions. Have all team members including the team leader sign the code.
Not everyone in a leadership role is a good leader. Some people are bullies who abuse their power simply because they can. Don’t allow yourself to become a victim of a leadership bully. Change the character of the relationship with your leader.
