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The psychopath in the C suite: redefining the SOB. (2012)

Ring a bell? “His career was a moving disaster but through seductiveness, charm, and manipulativeness he’d got away with it.

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries
INSEAD Working Paper No. 2012/119/EFE, November 23, 2012

This article begins with an elaborate example of a SOB – Seductive Operational Bully – or psychopath “lite.” It notes the deep divide that distinguishes people without a conscience from the general population.

“None of the assignments for which Richard had been responsible had been truly successful.

“In fact, his career had been a moving disaster – but thanks to his seductiveness, charm, and talent at manipulating others, he had gotten away with it.

“Richard was like the proverbial cat with nine lives. Disaster frequently struck due to his incompetence or laxness, yet he had an uncanny ability to limit the negative fallout. His mental agility when faced with such moments of truth, and the speed with which he moved on to another assignment, and then another, were remarkable. It was always left to his successor to clear up the mess he made.

“The ease with which SOBs rise to the top raises the question whether the design of some organizations makes them a natural home for psychopathic individuals. This article begins with an elaborate example of such an individual, and notes the deep divide that distinguishes people without a conscience from the general population.

“Most studies have resorted to a deficit theory to explain psychopathic behavior – something has gone with the wiring in the emotional part of the brain. Here, however, I suggest that nurture can also play a role in the etiology of psychopathy.

“The article explores ways of identifying and dealing with SOBs from an organizational and individual perspective, and recommends a clinical orientation to organizational diagnosis and intervention.”

(From the Abstract and Introduction to the paper)

Download the PDF here: The psychopath in the C suite

 

 

 

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