Cabinet Nominees Need to Pass a Psychological Evaluation

During my years as a senior executive I found that one of the most important tools we had for hiring the right managers and avoiding bullies was a psychological assessment. The results spoke for themselves and most went on to be outstanding leaders. Should the top jobs in the United States government be held to no less a standard?

As excellent as some of the questions have been during the cabinet nominee confirmation hearings —kudos to Sen. Elizabeth Warren for being extremely well prepared—what is not being assessed is psychological and emotional stability. In my new book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire I have devoted an entire chapter to understanding a candidate’s emotional and psychological fitness. The congressional committees currently questioning Donald Trump’s nominees need this information in order to do their jobs properly.

What seems clear is that Trump is populating his cabinet with people who because of wealth or temperament are used to getting their own way and don’t factor in the information they need to make informed decisions. In this recent article in POLITICO, Trump’s biographers discussed how his competitive personality and fragile ego has created someone who prefers to pick fights and game the system for his own profit. The people he’s assembled (with perhaps the exception of Marine General James Mattis) seem to be cut from the same cloth. They are clearly lacking in inclusiveness, sensitivity and temperament. Sadly, the same can be said for the man who will be inaugurated tomorrow. His lack of psychological suitability is no surprise—The Atlantic wrote about it back in June—but a law requiring an assessment for these top jobs would go a long way to protecting the country, and the world, from unsuitable leaders. 

Credit: Washington Post

Know the Difference Between a Demanding and an Unreasonable Boss

More and more employees have to deal with intrusions on their personal time every day. The coping mechanisms cited in this Wall Street Journal article are naive (such as offering to work 12-hour days instead of giving up your Saturdays) and don't usually have the desired impact. I have found in my research that one must distinguish between a demanding boss and a unreasonable boss. A demanding boss expects results and is usually open to being challenged on reasonableness and will negotiate expectations of subordinates. An unreasonable boss is usually a bully whose motivation is to make the subordinate fail. So before adapting a coping mechanism, make sure you understand what you are dealing with. My new book From Bully to Bull's Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire (RCJ Press; January 10, 2017) will help you make this distinctio.

Credit: BIGSTOCK

America’s Greatest Anti-Bullying Hero: Rep. John Lewis

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I’m honored to pay tribute to one of our greatest living revolutionists, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia as our Revolutionist of the Week. As you know, Lewis has been in the news because he declared Donald Trump’s campaign illegitimate due to the interference from Russia. Trump’s response was swift: in his now familiar bullying style, he tweeted that America’s most respected Civil Rights hero, the man who repeatedly put his body on the line in non-violent protest, was “all talk.”  

Trump is a textbook definition of a bully—attempting to deflect criticism instead of dealing with the real issues of foreign interference. The fact that he tried to turn Lewis into the villain is a perfect example of what I call “the bully’s trap” and the ultimate in a bully’s attempt at deflection. There’s a lot at stake here and I believe that Trump’s lashing out is indicative of someone who has something to hide. A person wrongly accused does everything he can to prove himself innocent—this has not been the case. We know quite a lot about John Lewis and his credibility. On the other hand, with every tweet and remark Trump loses credibility, often contradicting himself and his own remarks.

I was pleased and gratified to see that March, the 2013 graphic novel trilogy by Lewis with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell sold out over the weekend and became the bestselling books on Amazon—so much that all of the books are out of stock. It fills me with hope that Americans are following the example set by Lewis and his mentor, the great Dr. King. Both personify emotional intelligence; they are men who knew themselves and stood firm for their beliefs and values. They are the perfect role models for these times.

As Trump puts our democracy at risk, please consider their example. To quote Mohandas K. Gandhi, whose work inspired Dr. King, “It is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honor, his religion, his soul, and lay the foundation for that empire's fall or its regeneration.”

Credit: Public Domain

Thank you Rep. Lewis for showing us the way.

Predicting What Trump Will Do Next

We keep reading in the media about the utter unpredictability of Donald Trump, but I say this is nonsense. From my study of bullies and how bullying works, I know exactly what he’s going to do next. But first, let me give you some background.

Over the years I’ve become something of an expert on adult bullies—I was one early in my career until a wise supervisor set me straight, later on I sadly confess I was at times a bystander to bullying. I’ve been the victim of bullying so severe I was diagnosed with a form of PTSD, and today I’m an advocate for victims of bullying. I’ve dedicated my career to preventing and ending bullying in the workplace, which has inspired two books as well as my foundation’s current partnership with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and our joint Emotion Revolution in the Workplace initiative.

So I can reasonably declare that I’ve learned how bullies work. They are masters of manipulation, deflection, deception, deceit and denial and no one is better at bullying than Donald Trump. Bullies are particularly dangerous when their back is against the wall and the growing agitation about Trump’s connection with Russia is going to have his back against the bricks very soon. The onus is on Congress and the Republicans to force disclosure before the inauguration because it will be easier to prevent Trump from being inaugurated than to try to impeach him afterward. My prediction is if that happens he will do everything he can to maintain his power and control.  He will abuse the power of the presidency up to and including drastic things like martial law.

We only have one week to prevent this disastrous occurrence and I’m deeply concerned. I shared that concern in December when I wrote about my 97-year-old mother who was in the Dutch Resistance in World War II and whose greatest regret was that she didn’t do more to save the victims of the Nazis. That’s why I’m urging you to do what you can and inundate your representatives to demand full disclosure. Don’t let Trump and his people shut you down. Make your voice be heard before it’s too late. America’s future depends upon it.    

Credit: BIGSTOCK

Farewell to the Chief, Welcome to the Revolutionist

Each week we choose a Revolutionist of the Week. This week we can’t think of anyone more deserving that outgoing President Barack Obama.

President Obama’s farewell address included everything we’ve come to expect from the man—grace, class, dignity, intelligence, insight, genuine emotion, inspiration and brilliant articulation. But what was most striking for me was his call to action. My work is dedicated to being a revolutionist for psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces, which I believe will have a positive effect on all aspects of our lives. In Obama’s farewell address, I recognized a fellow revolutionist with a powerful message—as citizens we have the ability, and even the duty, to become revolutionists for change.

I define “revolutionist” as someone who influences actions to preserve, protect and advance the human rights of others. As he made clear in his address, this is Obama’s mission as well. I recognize the same imperative that motivated to write my new book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye, to claim the rights and dignity they deserve.

Obama spoke about hope and possibility, something that we cannot function without, but he didn’t shy away from harsh reality. This is the voice of a revolutionist, someone committed to facing and understanding the facts but equally dedicated to working for change. I look forward to seeing what Barack Obama, private citizen, does in his next phase as a revolutionist. And I echo his call that no individual can do this alone, but together we can resist the threats to democracy and work toward positive change. 

Credit: Photo KABC-TV

Streep Gives America a Master Class on Facing a Bully

The woman who is arguably America’s greatest actress has just given us a master class on how to take on a bully. As everyone knows by now, Meryl Streep addressed our incoming Bully-in-Chief during her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes when Viola Davis presented her with a lifetime achievement award. Her voice brimming with emotion, Streep elegantly and simply laid out Donald Trump without ever mentioning him by name as Patrick Pacheco points out in “Streep’s Golden Globes Attack on Trump: A Brilliantly Simple Anti-Bullying Strategy.”  

Trump’s response has been an attempt to bully her into silence by calling her an “over-rated actress” (19 Academy Award nominations, three wins; 29 Golden Globe nominations, eight wins; 14 BAFTA nominations; two wins; 14 Screen Actors Guild Awards, two wins). But what made Streep’s speech so masterful? Without ever getting personal, she clearly laid out the facts that made her argument strong and presented a clear call to action—support the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as we head into what promises to be a difficult, and even dangerous, time for the free press. America was listening. According to Forbes, the little-known organization has received an unprecedented rise in donations. Brava, Ms. Streep!

Credit: Today.com/Getty Images 

Beware of Lies About Misconduct When Negotiating Severance

Too frequently businesses that lay off an employee allege misconduct to avoid paying a large severance package—and sometimes any severance at all. It’s a tactic that’s very difficult for employees to fight, especially in the United States. Employment attorney Daniel Lublin discusses the tactic in “The dangers of alleging and exaggerating employee misconduct”in the Globe and Mail.

I urge everyone who feels that they are falling into this trap to keep a record of objectives met and all discussions with superiors. Some of these discussions should be initiated by the employee, reviewing performance goals, asking for clarification where there is subjectivity or ambiguity. However, in the case of the 60-year-old employee mentioned in this article, this appears to have been a case of ageism. Special vigilance may be called for if you feel you are being targeted due to age, race, gender, disability or sexual orientation. 

Credit: BIGSTOCK

How to Tame Negative Thoughts During Trying Times

We’ve greeted 2017 with a great deal of trepidation, but emotional intelligence tells us that while we must be vigilant and realistic, constant negativity can get in the way of happiness. Fortunately with practice you can learn to disrupt and tame negative cycles. Lesley Alderman suggests “The Year of Conquering Negative Thinking” in the New York Times’ column, “Well.” Great advice!

Credit: BIGSTOCK

What Happens When Journalists Rationalize Lying in the Age of Trump

This article, “Trump, ‘Lies’ and Honest Journalism,” by the editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, is one of the most disturbing articles I have ever seen. Where I come from a lie is a lie and the only true currency one has is credibility where your word is your bond. To rationalize lying is to normalize it. If the media dilutes the significance of lies coming from the most powerful person on the planet, it gives license to everyone to deflect by lying. Honest journalism is fact based. Period! 

Credit: BIGSTOCK

Equality on Ice

When you think of a sport that is willing to be a trailblazer for diversity and inclusion ice hockey might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but the aptly named Calgary Pioneers are doing just that. Without any fanfare the 96-team WinSport Hockey Canada League, one of the largest men’s non-contact leagues in Calgary, created the first openly gay men’s hockey team in Alberta. I have to especially applaud the additional steps the league took to create a psychologically healthier—and more enjoyable—sports experience for everyone involved. Allan Maki captured what inclusion looks like in his article “Being Able to Play the Game we Love” in the Globe and Mail.

Credit: Pioneers Hockey