Is your boss a psychopath?
The latest issue of Fast Company has a whole article on Psychopath bosses (not online yet- will link as soon as up). The article also comes with a quick quiz to help you calculate the extend of the problem:
- Is he glib and superficially charming?
- Does he have a grandiose sense of self-worth?
- Is he a pathological liar?
- Is he a con artist or a master manipulator
- When he harms other people, does he feel the lack of remorse or guilt?
- Does he have a shallow effect
- Is he callous and lacking empathy
- Does he fail to accept responsibility for his own actions?
Give 2 points for “yes”, one point for “somewhat” or “maybe”, and zero points for “no”.
Then compute your score.
- 1-4….be frustrated
- 5-7….be cautious
- 8-12….be afraid
- 13-16….be very afraid
I guess I have had enough bosses to safely say that I have witnessed people that cover the whole gamut without having anyone feel singled out.
It is amazing to me how companies can function with people like this in prominent positions (see also the revenge of the “c”th). Or maybe it just tells us something about the resilience of companies as social organism…
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July 3rd, 2005 at 11:47 pm
Sounds like a description of Ted Bundy
but seriously I’ve had bosses with all of the above.
The high self-worth is probably number one. Accepting responsibilies is another. But then again I’ve had some really cool bosses, but sadly not enough of them. During the internet crazy days (1998-2000) so-called eBosses were fun - but then we all know what happened to that bubble….