The high-performing bully is a company's catch-22 and often one of the most challenging workplace dynamics to navigate. In this article, I'll share my experience with high-performing workplace bullies, what they look like, their impact, and how to navigate them.
Note that high-performing workplace bullies aren't exclusive to any particular title or level; they could be a direct report, a peer, or even the CEO.
The High-Performing Bully (HPB)
I once worked at a startup that was considered a unicorn at the time. It was on fire.
The team consisted of business development, marketing, engineering, operations, and sales. Our sales team was stacked, covering all U.S. territories and LATAM. We were growing quickly, side by side with Uber, Lyft, and Postmates.
All the cards and stars were aligning, but there was one big problem.
Our culture was experiencing challenges, and one of the hardest to navigate was the High-Performing Bully.
A HPB is exactly what it sounds like: someone who performs extremely well, usually tied to revenue or business growth, but who's also unkind, mean, unpleasant to work with, and generally a “walk-on-eggshells” kind of coworker.
An HPB might publicly dismiss colleagues' ideas in meetings, take credit for others' work, send aggressive emails with unnecessary CCs to create pressure, or use their performance metrics as a shield when confronted about behavior. They often operate differently with leadership versus peers, charming up, punching down.
The Catch-22
Here's the problem: Growing companies NEED high performers to hit the hyper-growth investors expect. "Up and to the right" is the key. So leaders often feel stuck with the HPB, knowing they're toxic but hesitant to act because of the immediate value they seem to bring.
When an HPB goes unchecked, people around them tend to shrink, withdraw, or stop contributing fully. Some leave the company to avoid conflict. The CEO and leadership have usually been warned about this person, but fail to act or enforce change because, again, numbers speak louder than words.
What many leaders miss is the quiet damage.
The quiet damage manifests in several ways:
- Team members stop volunteering ideas in meetings
- Knowledge hoarding increases as people avoid collaborating with the HPB
- Psychological safety erodes people's mental energy, managing around one person instead of focusing on work
- Other high performers or healthy workplace contributors on the team start questioning whether this is the culture they want to be part of
Even without drastic, immediate changes, you'll begin to wonder why the company isn't moving in the direction you'd like. It’s almost like having someone in finance who operates from a scarcity mindset instead of effectively managing budgets. That energy permeates the culture, infecting your business, the internal vibe, and eventually your reputation.
Historically, businesses were built largely on reputation, but the new generation of business is shifting toward relationships. HPBs are relationship destroyers. HPBs usually lack emotional intelligence, but they have sharp, manipulative tactics. They burn internal relationships first, long before external ones show cracks.
Navigating the High-Performing Bully
If you're a leader, here's your move:
- Be direct: clearly address behaviors and their impact.
- Document and provide detail: track incidents, noting who, what, when, and why it mattered.
- Follow up and follow through: feedback without accountability is just noise.
If behavior doesn’t improve, it's time to look at a contingency plan to exit this person.
If You're Dealing With an HPB
The reality is, not everyone has the leverage to push back directly. If you're in a vulnerable position, focus on self-protection:
- Limit one-on-one interactions.
- Communicate via email for documentation.
- Build relationships with other team members for support.
- Quietly start networking externally.
Your mental health and career trajectory matter more than fixing someone else's behavior.
As you navigate, these steps can be of help:
- Document and speak up (as best as you feel comfortable).
- Set clear boundaries (e.g., "I'm not comfortable continuing this conversation while you're raising your voice.").
- Ask for support from HR or People Ops.
If things don’t get better and the company clearly signals it's okay with this toxic behavior, start exploring other opportunities. Protect your peace and energy.
The cost of keeping an HPB is rarely just one person's performance, it's the collective potential you're losing from everyone else.
Charisse Fontes is the founder of Culture Circle and an Executive + People Ops Advisor to founders and leadership teams.
more about Culture Circle →first published on linkedin, jul 2025_
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