America's Failure - Impunity for Abusers

On Saturday Feb. 13, 2021 DJ Trump, now a private citizen, was granted his second acquittal by the U.S. Senate as the capstone of his second impeachment trial.

Republican Senators CHOSE to let him get away with his misdeeds.

Sen. McConnell, power broker, held onto his control of Senate Republicans by first announcing his vote to acquit before the time to vote, voted to acquit as promised, then had the audacity/cynicism/hypocrisy/shamelessness to give a speech on the Senate floor holding Trump responsible for everything for which he was charged.

Politics aside, this is exactly how organizations deal with bullies identified within their workforce. For years, the bullies were coddled, reinforced, emboldened to be cruel to those who made them feel envious or jealous. High ranking people looked the other way. Complaints are either ignored or inadequately investigated. In the end, bullies are able to bully without fear of consequences.

Without accountability, unconscionable behavior is repeated. By failing to stop it early, the repeated mistreatment becomes normalized. It loses its novelty. Targets resign themselves to accept that they will not get relief. Expectations for justice are extinguished. The culture of hatred, bullying, disrespect hardens.

The road to seemingly irreversible bullying began with a failure to stop the first perpetrator. Over time, the bully cultivates sycophants, toadies, cult believers. Eventually it takes an extraordinary effort to turn an organization’s culture around. The forces of resistance to justice are strong and unified against those who dare to complain.

It all started with cowardice by those with the power to stop it in the first place. Every leader we work with regrets letting past opportunities to stop bullies slip by.

Good workers abused in the workplace can tell anyone willing to listen that when the power to stop abuse is abdicated, it becomes nearly impossible to stop it later.

Nearly every corporate executive team acts just like cowering Senate Republicans. Thanks to them, Trump lives to disrupt democracy again. Bullies survive, and even thrive, thanks to never being held accountable.