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Many of the traits we seek in leaders, such as fearlessness, dominant behavior, and immunity to stress, are found in psychopaths.
2023-06-09
Indeed, psychopaths are found in greater proportions among CEOs. Between 3% and 21% of CEOs are probably psychopaths, according to a 2016 study by Bond University psychologist Nathan Brooks. In 2021, Fortune found that 12% of corporate senior leaders in the United States showed psychopathic traits. In fact, most people display some symptoms of psychopathy — superficiality, glibness, promiscuity, etc. — and that does not make you a psychopath.
According to CNBC, while one out of five business leaders may show psychopathic tendencies, a certain "degree of nonconformity and unconventionally" can help drive innovation.
The standard screening test for potential psychopaths is the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. In the test, a clinician interviews a potential sociopath and scores them on 20 criteria, such as "promiscuous sexual Behavior" or "impulsivity." On each criterion, the subject is ranked on a 3-point scale: (0 = item does not apply, 1 = item applies somewhat, 2 = item definitely applies). The scores are summed to create a rank of zero to 40. Anyone who scores 30 and above is probably a psycho.
The test is meant to be done by a professional psychologist but if you really want to take it yourself — or make a layperson's guess at your boss's psychological makeup — keep scrolling:
1. Do you have "excess glibness" or superficial charm?
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(Answer: For sociopaths, the answer to this question is yes.)
2. Do you have a grandiose sense of self-worth?
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(Psychopaths do.)
3. Do you have an excess need for stimulation or proneness to boredom?
(Psychopaths prefer not to work for a living. They feel it is easier to take stuff from other people.)
10. Do you have poor behavioral controls?
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(Psychopaths find it difficult to keep themselves in check.)
11. Do you have a history of promiscuous sexual behavior?
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(Psychopaths like one-night stands.)
12. Do you have a history of early behavioral problems?
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(As children, psychopaths often have a history of cruelty to others.)
13. Do you lack realistic long-term goals?
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(Psychopaths prefer schemes over life or career goals.)
14. Are you overly impulsive?
Andrew Winning/Reuters
(Psychopaths are very, very impulsive.)
15. Do you have a high level of irresponsibility?
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(Psychopaths aren't big on doing the right thing.)
16. Do you fail to accept responsibility for your own actions?
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(When you're a psycho, it's always someone else's fault.)
17. Have you had many short-term "marital" relationships?
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(Psychopaths have an inability to commit to, or repeatedly betray, long-term relationships.)
18. Do you have a history of juvenile delinquency?
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(Psychopaths start young.)
19. Have you ever experienced a "revocation of conditional release"?
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(Even when psychopaths catch a break — like being let out of prison on probation — they tend to screw up.)
20. Do you display "criminal versatility"?
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(Psychopaths differ from normal criminals because they don't really care which type of laws they break — they'll break any of them, under the right circumstances.)
How did you do?
If you scored more than 30 (i.e. you answered "somewhat" or "definitely" to most of these questions) then you might be a psychopath. If you scored lower than that, you are likely not a psychopath.
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