Not all psychopaths are created equal.
In America, about 1.2% of adult men and 0.3% to 0.7% of adult women are considered to have clinically significant levels of psychopathic traits, according to the American Psychological Association.
But how do you know if a psychopath is in your life — particularly in the workplace?
“Corporate psychopaths” often do well in the working world and rise to leadership positions thanks to their charismatic traits, according to Neuroscience News, but they pose significant threats to the stability of the company.
Dr. Holly Andrews, an associate professor in coaching and behavioral change at the UK’s Henley Business School, explained to the Daily Mail that some psychopathic traits can be conflated with traits of a successful business person.
“Traits associated with successful leadership overlap to some degree with traits of psychopathy, for example, the ability to influence and manipulate,” she said. “Psychopaths are good interview candidates as they are charming, able to tell convincing stories and don’t experience anxiety. They are also calm and confident in a crisis.”
To a corporate psychopath, colleagues and other people they may work with are seen simply as objects to exploit, using the company as a way to gain power and wealth.
Some warning signs to look out for in corporate psychopathy include superficial charm, rationality, lack of remorse and emotional shallowness, according to Neuroscience News.
Traits can also include recklessness, arrogance, an inability to admit mistakes, passing blame to others and an inability to work in groups because they always try to take control, Dr. Steve Taylor, author of “DisConnected: The Roots of Human Cruelty,” told the Daily Mail.
“Psychopaths are masters of disguise and often put up a facade of being a good friend. Their inflated sense of self is often mistaken for charisma,” Taylor said.
These people can have a “catastrophic effect” on a company, including damaging its reputation or decreasing morale among staff.
“In organizations with psychopaths, we see higher levels of bullying and conflict,” Andrews said. “They are associated with sabotage, theft and white-collar crime.”
Taylor added, “They cause low levels of job satisfaction, reduced productivity, and high staff turnover. Part of the reason for this is that they aren’t even good at their jobs. In many cases, they aren’t particularly intelligent or astute.”
Andrews advised that if you work with a corporate psychopath, understand that this person is going to always put their personal priorities first, so try to “align what’s in their interest with what’s in the organization’s interest.”
If they happen to be your boss or superior, Andrews suggested, “Build self-awareness so you know your weak points that might be used for manipulating you, keep communication open with as many colleagues as you can so you don’t get isolated by the psychopath.”
If you are managing a corporate psychopath, try to get them to cooperate with you rather than exert authority.
“If you’ve got somebody in a leadership position, you can place a ‘counter-sidekick’ with them — someone who’s got the opposing traits,” Andrews explained. “But they would have to be trusted by the psychopathic individual or they could end up getting ousted from the group.”
Finally, put a focus on the importance of the process, honesty and openness rather than the endgame. That makes it “less easy for someone with psychopathic traits to blend into that situation.”
