I was inspired to write this post after reading two blogs I regularly visit. Over at Women’s Ally, editor Diahann Boock posted a poll asking visitors if there was a bully in their workplace. To my surprise, nearly 70% of respondents said yes. I then saw a post by Nikki over at Mommy Factor where she explored the best way to teach her young son to stick up for himself.  It got me thinking. Do children who are bullies grow up to become adults who are bullies?

As a high school freshman I had my own experience with bullying. As one of a handful of black students at my high school in Portland, OR I experienced merciless bullying from a clique of African-American girls who were bussed in from a different part of town. I was teased for “acting and sounding White” accused of being a snob and generally bullied for not looking the way they expected. My locker was defaced. I received threatening notes and on several occasions was physically threatened. Some of this behavior took place in front of my teachers who did nothing.

Flash forward twenty years. As a young account executive at a large New York PR firm, I worked with a number of managing directors with legendary tempers. One MD was a notorious bully who would frequently curse and get in the faces of young associates in front of their colleagues. It was not unusual to see an account executive in tears in the bathroom. While this MD was known to be a terrible manager with anger management issues, the partners at my firm chose to handle the situation by not giving him direct reports.  In short, because he was great with clients and made the firm a lot of money, his bad behavior was overlooked.  Not surprisingly, the turnover among the junior ranks stayed around 40%.

I’ve carried the lessons of these early life experiences with me today as a mother and an executive. As a mother, I know I’ll be very proactive if D2 experiences bullying at school. Equally important, if D2 (god forbid) exhibits bullying behavior, he will be held accountable by me and his father. I want him to understand that predatory and cruel behavior is not only unacceptable it’s totally against the values of our family. I want him to understand that to be a great leader, he needs compassion, kindness and an inclination to help those who can’t help themselves. While I’m no clinical psychologist (though I’m married to one), I can’t help but believe that children who are bullies are inclined to grow up to be adults who are bullies.

As a senior executive, I have zero tolerance for bullying behavior. Too often, I’ve seen conflict averse managers look the other way or excuse away work place bullies because they are deemed too valuable to lose. Work place bullies derive their power from the belief they won’t be held accountable for their actions.  They destroy team morale, are bad for corporate culture and contribute to poor organizational performance. The directors in my group know that when bullying is encountered (and thank goodness it has been infrequent), we deal with the issue right then and there. No questions. No excuses. Ever.

I’m very glad that the issue of school bullying is finally being taken seriously for the problem that it is. If more adults take the problem seriously in schools, we may be able to short-circuit behavior that becomes a lifetime practice in adulthood. What do you think? Do children who are bullies grow up to be adults who are bullies? Did you ever experience bullying as a child?  How did you handle it?  Have you experienced workplace bullying? If you are a recovering bully, why did you do it?

There is something special about the children of Hailsham boarding school. From their earliest memories, the students at this elite school are told they are special and destined for an important future.  Their adult caretakers are sympathetic and guarded with their special charges never letting on their own knowledge of what the future holds for them. And so goes Kazuo Ishiguro’s (also author of the stunning Remains of the Day) brilliant sixth novel Never Let Me Go. This is the story of a trio of friends, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth, their emergence into adulthood and their gradual knowledge of and acceptance of their fate.

Ishiguro’s prose is sparse and his imagery vivid as the story unfolds through the eyes of 31-year old Kathy H. who reflects upon her childhood growing up in the bucolic English countryside. Ishiguro takes his time peeling back the layers of the story revealing a core truth that is at once unimaginable and yet utterly realistic.  I couldn’t put the book down and was relieved when it was over.  The emotional richness of the characters will stay with you long after you’ve read the last pages. To say I was haunted by this story is an understatement. Never Let Me Go will make you think, debate the basic premise of humanity and consider the question of morality. This is an excellent choice for a book club selection and is at the top of my recommendations for anyone’s summer reading list. What will you read this summer?