7 Types of Bullies & How To Harness Your Super Superpower

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.’

-Christopher Reeve

From the cubicle to the worksite, classroom or office, bullies exist in every work setting. Their actions can be confusing, frustrating, upsetting, and even moderately hilarious---but the thing that unites them is that they take delight in making their coworkers feel uncomfortable or powerless. Their actions range from passive aggressive behavior like snide comments, body language and social ostracization to more overt violent language, aggression and professional sabotaging.

They come in all shapes and sizes: young and old, men and women. The following guide is inspired by Psychologist Meredith Fuller’s book “Working with Bitches,” and aims to help you find your own super superpower to cope with bullies and intimidators. These profiles can help discern who is who among the world of workplace bullies and create an action plan for tapping into overcoming them.

This is the first installment of an eight-part series. The subsequent series pieces will introduce the profile of a workplace bully, the tactics they employ and your superpower to help overcome workplace conflict.

The superhero motif is used in the series because workers can serve as the heroes of their own stories. A good building block to create workplace dignity is to first develop your own powers for defense, advocacy and empowerment. As employees and activists, tapping into unique power and taking on an alter ego when necessary can help you advocate, build power and fight the forces of evil encountered in the workplace

NEXT WEEK’S SUPERVILLIAN “The Ignorer” will face off against “The Connector General”