Is your boss a corporate psychopath? Why would you even consider such a question?
The issue is if this has crossed your mind then you have most likely worked with and are reporting to such an individual.
Psychopaths account for 1% of the general population and depending on what you read the percentage of psychopaths in the corporate world as CEO’s can be as high as 12% more if you include senior managers reporting to CEO. The general population of prison would have approx 15% of prisoners exhibiting the traits of a psychopath.
In society they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of repetitive crime and violence.
Many psychopaths have identified they can get the benefits from a corporate career than a career of crime and avoid prison.
They are charming, confident, use positive body language and bring people into a sense of false security. Like the prisoners they are unable to learn from experience, the are pathological liars and are masters of manipulative behaviour.
They bully people to get what they want and to get results. Initially their direct reports liked them then the bullying started whereby the corporate psychopath would be ruthless toward their direct reports manipulating them destroying their self confidence with constant humiliation about the standard of work, yelling aggressively in 121 situations and degrading people within their management group settings.
It’s important to understand they do this for several reasons
They like it
They lack basic emotions like fear or distress.
They love to see people squirm and fail
They have no empathy
They have no remorse
The sleep better at night.
I gives them power
I fit’s their overall agenda for progression in their career.
As they deliver results they are adept at managing upward, people above them believe the team is doing great and they win awards, but the psychopath rules with fear and is not close enough to the team to understand issues so bigger issues will arise further down the line.
The confidence is low as a team and as an individual people query their self worth and value to the organisation and they are afraid to speak up as they may not get support.
In time when people leave the psychopath can point to other reasons for staff leaving and can be shown to manage through periods of chaos and uncertainty which of course they have created, and because they can be charming and manipulative they survive.
It’s important to note that psychopaths on average score lower on intelligence tests and may not have done well in school, but their manipulative and charm skills along with being a pathological liar can get them into senior management roles.
Unfortunately in the corporate world when these individuals are called out for bullying it may in a lot of cases be the complainant who would be offered a package to leave the company sign a non disclosure agreement and the corporate psychopath is left to continue his/her reign of terror because they deliver results or the company don’t want to change.
Remember these individuals are toxic, they do not learn from experience, they do not have empathy or remorse, they sleep very well when they destroy individuals. They are willing to sacrafice everything for success.
If you identify being managed by a corporate psychopath and would like some coaching to be able to manage the situation and not have to leave a well paid position then contact me through bjkennomotivation. com.
