Bullying is intolerable. But are bullies always bad?
The complexities of workplace bullying, and how organisations can tackle it

“Bullies have a scarcity mindset. They believe the world is fundamentally hostile. They tend to be overplaced to their actual abilities. They have this deep, deep hunger for status and recognition.” - Amy Cuddy
he first year, I was quite good—although my boss didn’t share that opinion. In the second year, he may have had a point. By the third year, he was right: I was sh*t at my job.The swearing and public dressing-downs, the interminable caustic criticism, and the brutal humiliations had all taken their toll. My self-worth had been blitzed. I constantly had to second guess what he may want to avoid being shouted at, meaning I’d lost my ability to make clear, assertive decisions. In its place, all I could offer was a hesitant, nervous, foggy paralysis. I was a pale imitation of the bright, imaginative, emotionally intelligent man who had entered the company a few years earlier.
Section Title
In the first year, I was quite good—although my boss didn’t share that opinion. In the second year, he may have had a point. By the third year, he was right: I was sh*t at my job.
The swearing and public dressing-downs, the interminable caustic criticism, and the brutal humiliations had all taken their toll. My self-worth had been blitzed. I constantly had to second guess what he may want to avoid being shouted at, meaning I’d lost my ability to make clear, assertive decisions. In its place, all I could offer was a hesitant, nervous, foggy paralysis. I was a pale imitation of the bright, imaginative, emotionally intelligent man who had entered the company a few years earlier.

Section Title
In the first year, I was quite good—although my boss didn’t share that opinion. In the second year, he may have had a point. By the third year, he was right: I was sh*t at my job.
The swearing and public dressing-downs, the interminable caustic criticism, and the brutal humiliations had all taken their toll. My self-worth had been blitzed. I constantly had to second guess what he may want to avoid being shouted at, meaning I’d lost my ability to make clear, assertive decisions. In its place, all I could offer was a hesitant, nervous, foggy paralysis. I was a pale imitation of the bright, imaginative, emotionally intelligent man who had entered the company a few years earlier.