Kuala Lampur, Sept. 3 -- "It's just part of the job."

"You need to toughen up."

"Everyone goes through this."

These are the words we hear far too often or worse, force ourselves to believe when faced with bullying at work. But bullying is not constructive feedback. It is not leadership. It is not a stepping stone to success. It is a slow poison that erodes dignity, day by day.

I write not only as a communications practitioner, but as someone who has lived through it. I remember the days of driving home with a heavy chest, crying in the car before stepping into the house, trying to hide the wounds from my family. The feeling of being sidelined, belittled, and treated like a tool, it doesn't stop at the office; it follows you into your ...