Lonely at the top (podcast). (2016)

“Can a coach or mentor change the behaviour of a destructive organisational sociopath? This practitioner says no.

Comments taken from an edition of the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘The Bottom Line’ called ‘Lonely at the Top: What goes on between a manager and his or her coach?’
First broadcast 17 March 2016

Host Evan Davies with guests Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Group; Melanie Richards, Vice Chairman and Partner of KPMG UK; Jonathan Bowman-Perks, Coach and Mentor.

At 20 mins and 25 seconds into the programme:

“I do not do remedial coaching. I did once, big mistake. The person I was given was what I’d call a white-collar sociopath, and she was a bully. (But) when you’ve got a sociopath, you cannot ever change them. Just get them out of the organisation…. They’re just playing a game to stay in the organisation and carry on getting their bonuses.”

At 26’ 40”:

“I got approached once by someone very ambitious to be a CEO…we met up… to add some humour I laughed about ‘white collar sociopaths’ and he said ‘what are those, what are their criteria?’ I said ‘Funnily enough I’ve done a sheet so you’ll know when you spot one’. He read through it and went ‘ah, these are like my boss. Can you teach me how to become like that?”

Programme description:

Many senior executives now employ personal coaches to help them through their toughest business challenges. Coaches can provide confidential, independent support for senior managers who find life lonely at the top. But shouldn’t the boss be capable of making decisions on his or her own? And are coaches sometimes the hidden power behind the senior executive throne?

• Access the programme here: Lonely at the Top
• If you’re interested in this perspective on managing hubris, and you’re in the UK, you might consider attending the upcoming conference ‘Working with hubris in the coaching relationship’. More information here: Link to Ashridge Conference