Gossips and traitors do not vanish on their own. You have to do something (even if you are naturally inclined to leniency.)
Think of nature. Thunder releases tension in the atmosphere. But then things quickly return to normal. When you are biting through something tough, you have to bite hard, but then return to normal chewing.
When I have screwed up, it is because I have been too gentle. (Totally withdrawn and not spoken to the person. They don’t know what I am thinking and the tension drags on and on.) Or, I’ve been too hard. (They defend themselves, justify their behavior and make me wrong.)
To deal with the stress and tension that comes from back stabbing, you have to act quickly and find a balance between being too hard or too gentle. Of course, to do this you have to let your emotions settle down and get clear. When you are upset, you become weak and then do something that will not benefit you, the other person, or your organization. – Shar McBee