Bosses Four Times As Likely To Be 'Psychopaths': Survey Says

What's the key to business success? Well, being a psychopath might actually give you an edge. While most workers would prefer not to have a crazy boss, their attitudes toward female bosses are changing. And it's possible the high percentage of crazy bosses explains the average worker's weight gain. (Or maybe it's just the donuts in the break room). Here's a closer look at some of the latest small-business surveys.

Crazy Talk

A study of more than 200 executives by researcher Paul Babiak found that almost 4 percent were considered psychopaths when ranked on the Psychopathy Checklist, a tool therapists use to assess this personality disorder. Babiak, whose findings were reported in his book Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work, found that in comparison, only 1 percent of the general population shows psychopathic tendencies.

In other words, those who are successful in business could be four times more likely to be psychopaths than the average person. What exactly does that mean? Psychopaths lack empathy and don't feel remorse for their actions. That makes them great at manipulating their way to the top.

Who's the Boss?

While views continue to change, more Americans still prefer to work for a man (32 percent) than a woman (22 percent). Thankfully, nearly half (46 percent) of Americans say they wouldn't care if their next boss were male or female. That's a big change from 1953, when Gallup first asked this question and a whopping 66 percent of Americans said they would prefer a male boss. (Amazingly, even back then, 5 percent would prefer a woman.) The next time Gallup asked the question in 1975, 60 percent voted for a male boss.

Does This Job Make Me Look Fat?

According to the Herman Trend Alert, a soon-to-be released research report on workplace health by Aviva UK Health, growing workplace stress is causing employees' waistlines to grow as well.

Aviva found that longer hours due to job pressures are keeping employees from taking breaks to eat meals. About one-third of employees surveyed say they rarely take lunch breaks, 25 percent only do so if their workload allows and 13 percent don't eat lunch at all.

The fact they're not eating lunch doesn't mean they're not eating, however. In fact, 19 percent of those surveyed admitted stress makes them overeat at work, and 15 percent say their health has suffered as a result. Note to bosses: Stop being psycho, urge your employees to take a lunch break and fill the office cookie jar with something healthy instead.

Comments

[twinkerbell]

04:16 PM on 10/27/2011

I worked for a psychopath for about a year a long time ago. He was one of those super-charming guys who could sell snow to the Eskimos but was totally ruthless underneath. The positive aspect of working for him: I learned how to identify other psychopaths quickly and I've never worked for one since. Among the negatives: having no discernible conscience, pathological lying, lacking in empathy, being totally untrustworthy and never taking responsibility for anything remotely negative. He had a checkered employment history: it usually took about a year for his bosses to figure him out; they being unwilling to admit hiring him in error, he was allowed 6 to 12 months to find another job, while you & I would have been fired inistantly for our behavior.

[SlinkyTWF]

02:30 PM on 10/25/2011

Spoken like a true psychopath.

[Georgette99]

05:02 PM on 10/25/2011

Have you looked at the current Republican field of potential Presidential candidates??

[offred]

07:49 PM on 10/25/2011

Such as Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry. And don't forget old Dubya.

[Norge]

02:14 PM on 10/13/2011

Yes, I also have seen such for years. Control freeks wanting power over others.

[g2services]

03:33 PM on 10/12/2011

As a boss I have many good reasons to be psycho. How about government regulations? How about workers calling in sick after a holiday weekend? How about asking for a raise because they bought a new car? How about having to send one of the young office babes home to change clothes because you could see her tatoo thru her skirt? How about having to build a case before firing a worker who was stealing? How about the idiot who wrecked a company truck in the wrong county during the work day? How about the kid that took a cash payment for work on a job and kept it? The good news! Their psycho boss sent them all packing.

[somewhatodd]

06:50 PM on 10/12/2011

you forgot the main reason:

you blame your psychopathology on others, thus casting yourself as their victim.

non-psychos take responsibility for their own feelings and behaviors.

psychos can't do that. too grandiose and insecure.

[g2services]

09:53 PM on 10/13/2011

Not a victim, just noting some good things for my upcoming book on misgivings of a business owner. As a business owner I understand that the buck stops at my desk. Most of my employees over the years would take a bullet for me.

[MyFatCat]

09:23 PM on 10/13/2011

You're right to be upset about the people who don't come in after a holiday, can't figure out that buying a car should follow the raise, and sending people home who think dressing for work should be like dressing for bar hopping. I totally get it about the idiot who wrecked a truck being where he shouldn't be. The thief who took money that wasn't his--no argument about that.

I'm less sure about the aggro involved in making sure justice is being done about workers who steal. I've had to do that too. However, there's a good-sized gap between "knowing" and "proving."

I get that if your employees don't have a good work ethic, being a boss is hard. None of the behaviors you're talking about make you sound like a psycho. That all sounds like firing for cause. Psychos don't need cause, they just need to feel powerful.

[g2services]

09:56 PM on 10/13/2011

I have had many great employees over the years. I take the others with a grain of salt. You are remembered for how you respond in both good times and bad times. Doing the right thing is best but it can be difficult.

[dneil55859]

11:54 PM on 10/11/2011

Based on some of the people I have seen as bosses this is very right. I work in the mental health field and alot of the bosses I have worked for very much fit this mold. I have been chewed out because I didn't lie on a report. Once I was accuised of being rude to my boss on the phone at an emergency in the field when she would not answer my question fortunatly I had the phone on speaker and I had three cops, 4 fire fighters and 2 paramedics who heard the whole thing when I got written statements from them and presented them to HR when they called me in I was told "we will investigate further" I never heard anything more but if I had lied I'd of been on the street she was caught in brazen lie and nothing happened Go figure

[DeadPhish]

11:45 AM on 10/26/2011

Women bosses in Social Services/MH are absolutely awful, most hate men and surround themselves with other women....causing overt discrimination in promotions that is never addressed because it's not PC to hold women in power accountable. In a field that is dominated by women, it really surprises me how bad those in power can be.

Pathetic.

[Spuki]

11:18 PM on 10/11/2011

Based on prior experience, I firmly believe this. Never ceases to amaze the kind of people they put in "charge" of others. Scary!!

[YOKEL13]

06:09 PM on 10/13/2011

All too often, those who wind up in charge are those who crave control over others. Put this together with excessive ambition and you get the toxic boss.

[Redwood Eagle]

07:33 PM on 10/11/2011

This is news? Look at Wall Street. Look at the Government. Only a gang of psychopaths could have brought us the mess we're in now.

[wesdfs]

02:30 AM on 10/12/2011

so true