Hidden Trait #8:
A Bully is Self-Righteous

In order to disguise his corrupt character,
a bully claims the moral and ethical high ground.

A bully claims he is good, others are bad

- He is self-righteous to hide his own ruthless ambitions - He implies he is a good person, but others are devious - He brags about the goodness of his own character - He suggests that others have dubious motives

A bully claims superior character

- He takes credit for being frank and humble - He implies others can learn humility from him - He denies he manipulates others

A bully claims superior morals and ethics

- He claims to be highly moral - He frequently talks of his superior ethical standards - He implies that others don't have his high standards - He uses distorted examples to prove that others have shaky ethics

A bully claims superior motives

- He describes his priorities as highly unselfish - He implies others are seeking their own selfish ends - He appeals to nobler motives (which coincide with his objectives) - He implies he cares more about the company than others - He memorizes and quotes the company's vision and values - He never acknowledges his bad intentions - He implies he cares more about employees than others

A bully claims superior commitment

- He gives examples of his extreme sacrifice for the company - He suggests he is more dedicated than others - He suggests others lack his commitment to the company - He always reports his own long hours and other sacrifices - He suggests he will make more sacrifices than others - He embraces the role of martyr for the company

A bully claims superior performance

- He is vocal about his successes - He brags about his consistently high level of performance - When he is forced to admit a mistake, he makes a big deal about it - He implies his mistakes are very rare - He won't accept responsibility for major mistakes - He never feels remorse for major mistakes

A bully's favorite phrases to prove his superior motives

"Stop being so selfish." "Why are you being so selfish?" "Why are you being so mean-spirited?" "Why are you being so stubborn?" "You need to put the company first." "You're only thinking about yourself." "You know I would do the same for you."

CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE