THE LEADER'S ROLE IN PREVENTION

DETECTING ABUSE OF AUTHORITY AND UNCONSCIOUS BIASES

Effective leadership in bullying prevention begins with deep introspection on the part of those in power.

Supervisors and managers are held accountable to a higher standard of behavior because of the authority delegated to them by the organization.

Abuse of authority is not always blatant aggression; it often manifests itself in the misuse of influence to negatively impact a subordinate's career or to create a hostile environment through intimidation or sarcasm.

In addition, leaders must be aware of their own unconscious biases (such as affinity bias) that can lead them to unfairly favor employees who look like them or to subtly discriminate against those who do not fit into the traditional "club."

Imagine King Louis XIV ("The Sun King") running a modern department. If he were to use his power to yell at his assistants, bang drawers or assign the most demeaning tasks exclusively to those who don't laugh at him, he would be practicing an abuse of authority bordering on workplace violence.

If, in addition, he only promoted people from his own aristocratic background, ignoring the merit of other diverse candidates, he would be perpetuating a discriminatory culture.

A modern leader must ask himself, "Does my team obey me out of respect or out of fear of my wrath?" If the answer is fear, the ground is fertile for harassment.

MODEL ETHICAL BEHAVIORS AND ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY.

An organization's culture is defined by "tone from the top." If leaders don't take harassment prevention seriously, employees won't either. Managers must serve as role models of impeccable behavior.

It is not enough not to harass; they must actively intervene when they observe inappropriate behavior, even if no one has formally complained.

The zero-tolerance policy should not be an empty slogan; it implies that any infraction, no matter how "star" or profitable the offender, will have immediate consequences. The leader's inaction in the face of red flags makes him a legal and moral accomplice.

If General George Washington were to observe one of his trusted officers making lewd remarks to the troops or telling sexist jokes in the mess hall, his obligation is not to look the other way to "protect morale."

Your duty is to reprimand the officer publicly or privately and apply the appropriate sanction.

If Washington ignores the fact because the officer is a tactical genius, it sends the message throughout the organization that performance justifies abuse.

Visible leadership participation in harassment training significantly increases the seriousness with which the workforce perceives the issue.

MANAGING CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIPS IN HIERARCHICAL TEAMS

Romantic relationships in the workplace, while not always prohibited, present an ethical minefield when hierarchy exists.

If a supervisor has a romantic relationship with a subordinate over whom he or she has appraisal or salary decision-making power, an immediate conflict of interest is created.

Even if the relationship is consensual, it creates a perception of favoritism among the rest of the team and a massive risk of Quid Pro Quo harassment if the relationship ends badly.

The best leadership practice is to disclose the relationship to Human Resources to reorganize reporting lines and eliminate direct dependency.

Suppose Mark Antony (regional head) begins an affair with Cleopatra (his d