Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

There is a difference between leaders who aggressively push for results and bullies who use fear and intimidation to get what they want.

Organizations can’t afford the latter: these people are costly in terms of productivity and emotional impact. Here’s how to discern the difference between hard-charging managers and sinister bullies:

1. Confront. Hold a series of impromptu meetings with the suspected bully and victims to gather evidence quickly. Make these gatherings out-of-the-blue, rather than planned in advance, to ensure you get the straight story.

2. Analyze and present. Use an external framework to evaluate whether this is a true case of bullying. Document the evidence rather than relying on hearsay.

3. Expose. Since bullies use fear of consequences as their main weapon, it’s critical to expose their behavior. By outing bullies and labeling the behavior, you can take away their power.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “Diagnose and Eliminate Workplace Bullying” by Baron Christopher Hanson.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.