Question

What are the characteristics that make people with psychopathic personality traits successful in business?

Answer 1

Psychopaths are more likely to gain power through dominance, bullying and intimidation, rather than respect.

Psychopaths are often considered to be charming, engaging and smooth, due to a lack of self-consciousness which frees them from the inhibitions and worries about saying the wrong thing that can cause others to be more socially awkward.

Psychopaths have a tendency to engage in risky behaviour without thinking of the consequences. This impulsivity comes from a lack of fear, according to criminal psychologist David Lykke.

It is commonly thought that psychopaths don’t feel any guilt or remorse, but recent research shows they are capable of such negative emotions, but only when something impacts them directly. In other words, if they hurt someone else, they won’t be racked with guilt like someone else might, but if a situation leaves them worse off financially, for instance, they may feel regret. Psychopaths know intellectually what’s right and wrong, but they don’t feel it, as one expert puts it.

Another key characteristic of the psychopath is that they mostly form superficial, short-term relationships with others, before casually discarding them.


Source: Do psychopaths really make better leaders? (bbc.com)