Walk Away to Win: A Playbook to Combat Workplace Bullying

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Subtle and Oblique: Bullying Seeks Control

The most painful type of bullying actually eats away at your spirit slowly and methodically.

In July 2013, Belinda received one of the best performance reviews of her career. Both of her bosses agreed that her ability to lead teams and execute good work made major contributions to the company. “The sky is the limit for you,” one wrote.

One year later, she left the company, saddened and disappointed.

“What transpired in that year was not bullying in the obvious sense,” she told me. “Instead, each day I endured efforts by my boss to control and minimize my contributions in the organization.”

For Belinda, it began when a new boss asked her to “cc” him on every email she sent out, which struck her as ...