Leadership and Psychopaths

A recent study, “Corporate psychopathy: Talking the walk” (2010 Mar-Apr; 28(2):174-93, Behavioral Science the Law journal) by Babiak, Neumann and Hare, found that approximately 3% of those assessed in a “management development program” study “scored in the psychopath range” – well above the incidence of 1% in the general population. (By reference “only” 15% of prison populations are estimated to be psychopathic.)  This confirms much cited anecdotal evidence and was picked up in Forbes magazine last week which ran with an article “The Disturbing Link Between Psychopathy and Leadership.” So what is the link and what can corporations do to make sure psychopaths don’t end up running your company?

Here’s the link between leadership and psychopathic behaviors and what to do about it (followed by further implications “et alors”).

Leadership and Psychopaths

Hare and Babiak also published a book in 2006 called “Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work” in which they described two types of psychopath: either the aggressive “brute” who is unlikely to succeed in the workplace; or the type “who is willing to use their ‘deadly charm’ to con and manipulate others.” Psychopaths can be witty and charming and the latter tend to exhibit three behaviors that might be read as “leadership” skills in the workplace:

1.       Psychopaths “are motivated to, and have a talent for, ‘reading people’ and for sizing them up quickly. They identify a person’s likes and dislikes, motives, needs, weak spots, and vulnerabilities…”

2.       Psychopaths “come across as having excellent oral communication skills. In many cases, these skills are more apparent than real because of their readiness to jump right into a conversation without the social inhibitions that hamper most people…”

3.       Pyschopaths “are masters of impression management; their insight into the psyche of others combined with a superficial – but convincing – verbal fluency allows them to change their situation skillfully as it suits the situation and their game plan.”

Given the real potential for harm, what should an organization do to ensure that psychopaths do not ascend the hierarchy of the organization? According to Forbes, the priorities are:

Internal succession planning

“A well-conceived internal succession program is the best way to protect the organization”, as the study should (presumably) take years rather than just hours to make the promotion.

Focus on verified, tangible results

When recruiting externally, focus on “real substantive accomplishments that can be verified – more than on personal charm and force of personality!

Glean whatever you can about the moral and ethical character of a candidate

Not always easy with a psychopath as “they can manipulate a situation and tell interviewers what he or she believes they want to hear”! Persist and pick up on subtle clues!

Et alors

“The hallmarks of psychopathic behavior are egocentric, grandiose behavior, completely lacking empathy and conscience” said Forbes magazine; many readers will ascribe the same characteristics to someone senior to them in their organization! However whilst at the “surface” level the similarity might look amusing, it is when there are “real” psychopaths that the organization has to be very wary. The good news with the proposed action plans is that they are all preventative controls; however that leaves the question: how do you deal with a psychopath who has already got to a senior position? The chances are they will stay there unless they make an egregious mistake resulting in eviction by persons outside the organization (for example due to criminal charges). For this, there are no readily available solutions: it remains a very difficult situation for anyone working in such an organization!