Matt Paknis Leadership Development

"With power comes the abuse of power. And where there are bosses, there are crazy bosses." - Judd Rose "The collusion of big business, big labor, and big government threaten the spirit of small business that makes America great." - Foster Friess #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #frivolouslawsuits #Justice #TruthWins #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"There cannot be greater rudeness than to interrupt another in the current of his discourse." - John Locke "Clear boundaries foster a healthy sense of self-esteem." - Jordan Peterson #leadersarentbullies #healthyworkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct  #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Bullies interrupt. They lack respect and consideration and fail to practice appropriate verbal, physical, emotional, and psychological boundaries with their workers.

"As my dad said, you have an obligation to leave the world better than how you found it. And he also reminded us to be givers in this life, and not takers." - Phil Crane "Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people." - Dennis Prager #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #goodness #generosity #leaveitbetterthanyoufoundit #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"The predator wants your silence. It feeds their power, entitlement, and they want it to feed your shame." - Viola Davis "The collusion of big business, big labor, and big government threaten the spirit of small business that makes America great." - Foster Friess "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." - George Washington #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #frivolouslawsuits #justice #innocence   #freedomofspeech #TruthWins #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces   #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated."- William James "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire #leadersarentbullies #healthyworkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #recognition Given the following three choices—lack of recognition, lack of money, and lack of challenge—85% of employees who’ve chosen to leave an organization state it’s because they didn’t feel appreciated or recognized.

"Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength." - Donald Trump "A good deal of tyranny goes by the name of protection." - Crystal Eastman "Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." - Ronald Reagan "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." - Sigmund Freud #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #dignity

"If you believe, as I do, that your employees truly are your most valuable asset, you will do whatever you can to help them do their jobs as well as possible." - Harvey Mackay #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

Happy Easter!  May it help you transcend life's trials and tribulations! Peace and love to you and yours!

"The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse." - Edmund Burke "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Leonardo da Vinci "Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best." - Edward Abbey "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #frivolouslawsuits #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #dignity #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"I don't think it's for them to have an opinion, because they don't have the facts'." -Maria Sharapova "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." -John Adams #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #dignity #Respect #decency #truth #facts #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Good managers don’t #micromanage, and they are not overly critical of subordinates. Employees need to know when they perform below or above expected levels and how to correct or sustain this performance with constructive feedback based on observations and facts.

"Restoring responsibility and accountability is essential to the economic and fiscal health of our nation." - Carl Levin "Despite all our gains in technology, product innovation and world markets, most people are not thriving in the organizations they work for." - Stephen Covey #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"Trauma fractures comprehension as a pebble shatters a windshield. The wound at the site of impact spreads across the field of vision, obscuring reality and challenging belief." - Jane Leavy "The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect." - Peter A. Levine #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #mentalhealth #innerpeace #happiness #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"You can talk about anything if you go about it the right way, which is never malicious." - Rodney Carrington "To be silent is to be complicit." - Richard Edelman #tortiousinterference #maliciousprosecution #frivolouslawsuits #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #Respect #dignity #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." - Bill Gates #leadersarentbullies #decency #healthyworkplaces #respect #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Effective managers provide constructive and objective performance feedback to improve outcomes and morale.  They strive to allow their employees to succeed with resources, tools, coaching, training, support, and rational behavior.  They respect their employees in the process.

"Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind." - Theodore Roosevelt "Actions speak louder than words. All companies say they care, right? But few actually exercise that care." - Simon Sinek #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #dignity #SpeakUp #actionsspeaklouder #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"Goodness is the only investment that never fails." - Henry David Thoreau "Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness." - Anne Frank "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." - Buddha "Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light." - George Washington #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"The predator wants your silence. It feeds their power, entitlement, and they want it to feed your shame." - Viola Davis "We live in the age of entitlement, as opposed to enlightenment." - Bill Bailey "A criminal is a person with predatory instincts without sufficient capital to form a corporation." - Howard Scott #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #decency #dignity #SpeakUp #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #Frivolous lawsuits

"Half of the harm done in this world is due to people who want to feel important." - T. S. Eliot "If you can, help others; if you can't, at least do not harm them." - Dalai Lama "Maturity is the ability to express your feelings within the bounds of dignity." - Samuel Ullman #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #decency #dignity #SpeakUp #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Bullying bosses harm entire communities at work, and beyond, by robbing citizens and institutions of their dignity and productivity. Such losses cannot be tolerated for long. There is always a cost down the line. #LeadersArentBullies

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." - William Shakespeare "Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters." - Albert Einstein "Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships." - Stephen Covey #leadersarentbullies #BeTransparent #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

“Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, YOU ARE NOT THE RAIN.” — Matt Haig "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"A lawsuit can be a weapon." - Bari Weiss "Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame." - Benjamin Franklin “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.” —Abraham Lincoln #maliciousprosecution #tortiousinterference #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #metoo #BeTransparent #SpeakUp #decency #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"Leaders who are kind of insecure or egocentric, they basically sabotage themselves." - John C. Maxwell "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." - Martin Luther King, Jr. #healthyworkplaces #SpeakUp #Decency #metoo #BeTransparent #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Managers who bully employees do enough cumulative damage to their targets to where victims no longer add value to the organization. #LeadersArentBullies #workplaceculture

“In the end, those who demean others only disrespect themselves.” - D.B. Harrop "He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." - Lao Tzu "No man is free who is not master of himself." Epictetus Workplace bullying is persistent, demeaning, unwelcome behavior. Bullies attempt to control and undermine their workers with distorted or fabricated allegations of under-performance. #LeadersArentBullies

"Accountability breeds response-ability." - Stephen Covey "Trust brings a higher level of communication and a higher level of commitment and accountability." - Bruce Arians "The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occurring again." - B. F. Skinner #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #BeTransparent #SpeakUp #metoo #Decency #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact  

"Lawsuit abuse is a major contributor to the increased costs of healthcare, goods and services to consumers." - Charles W. Pickering "Every institution, including the judiciary has its share of black sheep and corrupt judges." - Prashant Bhushan "Judges are the weakest link in our system of justice, and they are also the most protected." - Alan Dershowitz #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #BeTransparent #Decency #SpeakUp #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"If you see harassment happening, speak up. Being harassed is terrible; having bystanders pretend they don't notice is infinitely worse." - Celeste Ng "Intimidation, harassment, (bullying), and violence have no place in a democracy." - Mo Ibrahim #HealthyWorkplaces #SpeakUp #metoo #BeTransparent #Decency #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct   #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Even today, workplace bullying is still somewhat a taboo subject. It’s akin to how bullying among children at school and bullying in the form of sexual harassment of working women was perceived before 1970. #LeadersArentBullies

"If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a state has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his house, what books he may read or what films he may watch." - Thurgood Marshall "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." - George Washington #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #SpeakUp #BeTransparent #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." + Henry David Thoreau "Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil." - Plato "I believe the root of all evil is abuse of power." - Patricia Cornwell "Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot." - Thomas Moore "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." - George Washington #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #BeTransparent #SpeakUp #Decency #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #metoo

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides." - Elie Wiesel "The human spirit may be muted, but it cannot be silenced." - Leslyn Lewis "Those that have a voice have to speak for those of us who are silenced." - Mike Leach #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #SpeakUp #Decency #BeTransparent #metoo   #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"Other ailments evoke sympathy. We get help. Mental illness begets, 'Oh, they're crazy.' We're belittled." - Chris Wood "Emotional well-being is more than not having mental illness. It's reaching closer to full potential, being resilient in the face of adversity." - Vivek Murthy #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #mentalhealth #Decency #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact Mental traumas are real “injuries.” Don’t let them be minimized.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." - Henry Ford "Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." - Mattie Stepanek "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses or the problems of modern society." - Vince Lombardi "We multiplies the power of I." - Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel #leadersarentbullies #Decency

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." - Martin Luther King, Jr. "Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light." - George Washington #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #BeTransparent #MentalHealth #Decency #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact  

"Lawsuit: A machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as a sausage." - Ambrose Bierce "Lawsuits - and frivolous lawsuits - are just sapping the life out of the people who perform the services and deliver the goods for the rest of the citizenry." - Conrad Burns #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #leadersarentbullies #Decency #metoo  #mentalhealth  #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." -William James "Positive emotions and mental states may make people more resilient to stress, like sturdy tree branches that bend but don’t break when battered by a storm. - Melanie Greenberg #HealthyWorkplaces #Decency #metoo #mentalhealth #BeTransparent #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact When stress goes unabated, it compromises a target’s mental health, and when unseen psychological trauma is caused by unsafe, stressful work conditions, it’s every bit as damaging as physical injuries. #LeadersArentBullies

"Trump makes NCAA men’s wrestling championships his latest sports-focused trip" - AP News "We are wired for connection. But the key is that, in any given moment of it, it has to be real." - Brené Brown #leadersarentbullies #BeTransparent #metoo #HealthyWorkplaces #decency #SpeakUp   #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

   "Awareness is the greatest agent for change." - Eckhart Tolle "The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress." - Charles Kettering "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #SpeakUp #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"When you don't take a stand against corruption you tacitly support it." - Kamal Haasan "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." -Leonardo da Vinci "Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life." - Marcus Aurelius #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #SpeakUp

“Trauma is hell on earth. Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods.” ― Peter A. Levine “A lot of people who have experienced trauma at the hands of people they've trusted take responsibility, and that is what's toxic.” – Hannah Gadsby #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #metoo #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #decency An early Swedish study among 64 victims of bullying at work attending a rehabilitation program concluded that 65% of the patients suffered from PTSD.

"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." - Ronald Reagan "I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another." - Thomas Jefferson #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #MeToo #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #decency

"We need a (leader) who knows how to balance a budget, who understands the urgency of delivering all the services and procedures a great city needs, who has positive relationships with, and understands the needs of, working families." - Carolyn Maloney #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact  

"If we sit by and become complacent and put our heads in the sand, we're complicit." - Shelley Morrison "The bad man desires arbitrary power. What moves the evil man is the love of injustice." - John Rawls #leadersarentbullies #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #decency

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” ― John Green “The humanity we all share is more important than the mental illnesses we may not” ― Elyn R. Saks #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact A study of male industrial workers found a significant negative association between exposure to bullying at work and measurements of psychological health. Exposure to workplace bullying shows victims report a 23% adverse variance in psychological health.

"Our duty is to believe that for which we have sufficient evidence, and to suspend our judgment when we have not." - John Lubbock #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller "Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert H. Schuller "When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves." - William Arthur Ward #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact  

"When you see corruption, when you see injustice, you speak up. You don't just shut up and say it's none of my business." - Manal al-Sharif #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"Nothing is worth your health, like poisoning yourself with stress, anxiety, and fear." - Steve Maraboli "If you get tired, learn to rest - not to quit." - Banksy "Burnout is a risk. I take short breaks; put my phone down, get into nature, and ignore the news." - Katty Kay #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #decency #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #mentalhealth Bullying victims report increased psychological distress: anxiety, depression, negative emotions, and overt anger. In the workplace, high levels of burnout and emotional exhaustion are common, as well.

"Bullying is a cowardly act. It's easy to bully someone when they aren't looking or when they can't fight back." - Ronda Rousey "The most talented and decent employees are most often workplace bullying targets. They trigger a bully’s great fear of being exposed as an incompetent fraud. Bullying managers are willing to hurt their organizational goals by demeaning and discarding its best talent” (Paknis, 2018) #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #decency

"Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance." - Plato "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan "A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity." - Dalai Lama #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #BeTransparent #SpeakUp #decency #metoo #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact  

"Benito Mussolini created the word 'fascism.' He defined it as 'the merging of the state and the corporation.' He also said a more accurate word would be 'corporatism.' This was the definition in Webster's up until 1987 when a corporation bought Webster's and changed it to exclude any mention of corporations." - Adam McKay #maliciousprosecution #TortiousInterference #HealthyWorkplaces #BeTransparent #psychologicalsafetyatworkact

"I believe rejection is a blessing because it's the universe's way of telling you that there's something better out there." - Michelle Phan “You learn nothing about people by snubbing them and crushing their pride. Ask them what it is they can do in this world.” - Hilary Mantel #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #decency  It hurts when people we work with, who are supposed to be our teammates, shun us. It challenges our assumptions about our relationships and human decency.