No one likes to be bullied.

Most people agree bullying is wrong. At least in principle.

When we hear stories of bullying, maybe we empathize because we’ve been bullied too. Or we wonder why someone didn’t step in, how it could happen. Perhaps we imagine we wouldn’t stand up for it, that we would be the hero of our own story against a bully.

So why does bullying happen? Why is bullying so prevalent?

Unfortunately, the truth is bullying works.

And in some small part of the human psyche, people perceive it to be leadership. Just like a dog that’s a bully can imtimidate other dogs. Some people perceive him to be an “alpha”, while the savvy dog person recognizes a barking dog is a weak dog. A reactive dog is a weak dog.

Bullying happens everywhere—the tiniest school playground, social media, the classroom, the boardroom, the halls of power.

Bullies often hold positions of authority or influence. They come in all different forms: a big kid on the...