Original article from Inc.: https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/employees-are-bullying-their-bosses-and-most-leaders-say-its-getting-worse/91323804
Insights by Maureen Kyne | Upward Bullying Expert | Speaker | Author | Confidant
Employees Are Bullying Their Bosses. And Most Leaders SAt it’s Getting Worse.
We are seeing a shift in workplace dynamics that many organisations are still unprepared to name, let alone address.
In a recent article published by Inc., the conversation around upward bullying has moved further into the mainstream, highlighting what many leaders have been experiencing quietly for years: employees undermining, resisting, and at times actively destabilising those in leadership roles.
What is striking is not just the increase in these behaviours, but how frequently they are misunderstood.
Upward bullying is rarely recognised in real time. Instead, it is often reframed as a leadership capability issue, a communication breakdown, or a need for the leader to adapt. Meanwhile, the behaviours themselves, coordinated resistance, narrative shaping, and strategic non-compliance, continue unchecked.
The result is not just individual leader strain. It is organisational risk.
When leaders are distracted, second-guessing, or forced into defensive patterns, decision-making slows, accountability blurs, and performance begins to erode. In high-stakes environments, the consequences can extend far beyond culture, impacting safety, service delivery, and overall outcomes.
This article reinforces what we are now seeing globally: upward bullying is not an isolated issue. It is an emerging leadership and governance challenge that requires far greater awareness, clarity, and intervention than it currently receives.
I encourage you to read the full piece and consider what may be sitting beneath the surface in your own organisation, particularly in situations that don’t quite align with traditional explanations.