Why do some bosses go on power trips? Bullies in the workplace.

The school system seems to believe that bullies somehow disappear once you graduate high school. I hate to say it, but that’s just not how the world works. Bullies exist everywhere, at every age, and in every industry. They don’t magically grow out of it. In many cases, they simply change venues. The playground becomes the office. The locker room becomes the boardroom.

Most power-tripping bosses learned this behavior early, often during their K-12 years. Bullying worked for them back then. It helped them avoid embarrassment, mask insecurity, or exert control when they didn’t feel capable or confident. Those tactics get reinforced over time, and instead of unlearning them, they carry that same playbook straight into the workplace.

In professional environments, these individuals are often deeply insecure. They’re not confident leaders; they’re defensive ones. They’re constantly looking for ways to hide the fact that they don’t fully understand their job, their domain, or their role as a leader. So they pressure people. They stop listening. They talk over others, dismiss ideas, shift blame, and use intimidation as a substitute for competence. When they feel threatened, they don’t collaborate, they attack. They harass, undermine, and sometimes outright try to bury anyone who might expose their lack of capability. It’s disturbing to watch, especially when organizations tolerate it under the excuse of “that’s just how they are.”

What Employees Can Do When They’re on the Receiving End

First and foremost: document, don’t argue with emotions. Bullies thrive on emotional reactions. That’s where they feel powerful. What they struggle with is facts, patterns, and accountability. Write things down. Track behaviors over time. Dates, statements, actions, witnesses. Focus on what actually happened, not how it made you feel in the moment.

Eventually, you have to confront the behavior. That might mean a one-on-one conversation, a group discussion, or escalation to another leader or HR. There’s no single right path, but doing nothing is not an option. Allowing bad behavior to continue unchallenged only reinforces it. Silence teaches the bully that their tactics work.

It’s also important to understand this: most bullies are not consciously trying to be evil. They’re running a pattern. They’re replaying a strategy that has worked for them in the past, often without any real self-reflection. They rarely stop to consider the damage they’re causing, because they’re focused on protecting themselves. That doesn’t excuse the behavior, but it does explain why clear confrontation and boundaries are often the only things that work.

If you confront, escalate appropriately, and nothing changes, then you have to make a hard decision. Leave. No job, no title, and no paycheck is worth sacrificing your mental health, confidence, or sense of self. You are not weak for walking away from a toxic environment. You are choosing yourself.

How Organizations Can Actually Prevent This Stuff

Bullying almost never shows up overnight. It starts small and subtle. Someone shuts people down in meetings. Goals move constantly so no one can succeed. Fear replaces clarity. Control replaces trust. Narratives get manipulated to make the bully look good instead of helping the team succeed. These are early warning signs, not personality quirks.

If leaders catch those behaviors early, a tremendous amount of damage can be prevented. If they ignore them, excuse them, or reward them with promotions and influence, that behavior doesn’t just persist, it spreads. Over time, it becomes part of the culture. People adapt to survive. Silence becomes the norm. High performers leave. The bully stays.

Organizations must create cultures where bad behavior can be reported safely and openly, not just buried in HR processes that feel opaque or performative. Team members should be encouraged to speak up about what they see and hear, without fear of retaliation. When transparency exists, bullies lose their power. They cannot operate in the open. They depend on fear, confusion, and isolation.

When called out consistently, bullies usually do one of two things: they change, or they leave. Either outcome is a win for the organization. Healthy teams don’t require fear to perform. They require trust, clarity, and accountability. If leaders truly care about performance, retention, and long-term success, they must be willing to confront bullying head-on. Ignoring it is not neutrality. It’s endorsement.