It has been a mixed few days for bullies. In what many believe will be a landmark case for employer practices, Steven Horkulak, previously of the trading house Cantor Fitzgerald, has been awarded £1million damages for constructive dismissal. The story involves his volatile relationship with his boss Lee Amaitis, which often involved explosive and highly offensive verbal assaults that Mr Horkulak claims drove him back to his alcohol and cocaine habit.

This case has lifted the lid on not only the world of bullying that often accompanies the high finance sector in London’s Golden mile, but also the extreme lifestyles that a number of its senior players find themselves caught up in. It certainly has the capacity to have numerous corporate legal and HR departments shaking in their boots as any employees previously fearful of ‘coming out’ in response to similar bullying, take courage from this decision and begin legal proceedings.

However, those same legal and HR people may also respond like many of us who have followed this story - with welcome relief that such disgraceful and unprofessional behaviour has been called to account. The truth is that they, like most of us, have an intense dislike of bullies. Many reading the word ‘bully’ will have been taken back to the nightmare of playground hell where they suffered abuse at the hands of similar insecure individuals who sought to assuage their own angst by taking out on others. Bullying is damaging to those who suffer it and demeans the humanity of those who dish it out. Hopefully, this case may be the catalyst for change as companies and individuals realise the true ‘cost’ of such behaviour.

This is not quite the entire story though. Simon Barnes, sports writer of the Times, takes a different view as he reflects upon England’s recent success at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona. ‘Bullying Coaches – a necessary evil on road to glory’ is the headline of his article reflecting upon the coaching style of Bill Sweetenham, the maverick Aussie who acts as Britain’s director of swimming. This ‘hard man’ of British Swimming has a reputation of classic bullish coaching. ‘Bully boy, loudmouth, technical genius, maverick and motivational guru’ is how Barnes describes him and none who have trained under him would argue.

Yet it appears that there are some things that set Sweetenham apart from his corporate counterparts. The almost religious affiliation to him as a coach appears to be based on two things 1) Shared vision of success 2) Respect. At the heart of these relationships between coach and athlete, striving militantly (just like the ‘corporate’) for success, is a deep respect.

This, it seems, is where some of the lines between brutish bullying and motivationally pushing people to the limits, are drawn. Success demands sacrifice, pushing yourself beyond self-imposed boundaries, often inspired to do so by the vision of a great coach. To work effectively in that environment demands strong foundations of relationship that can only be held together under pressure by respect. Lose this for yourself or others and very quickly the relationships become dysfunctional and abusive.

It is unclear where this legal case will lead. One hope would be a higher quality of leadership by those entrusted with it in expressing respect for those they lead. And – if the psychologist’s view of the profile of bullies is true – this will begin with a much greater respect for themselves.

For those who lead, let us reflect.

Phil Wall
CEO