To close the deal you need the killer instinct. To succeed in business you need to be ruthless. To make it as a chief executive in the current financial climate you need to be emotionally detached, focused in your decision making, no room for empathy just ruthless logic. According to Tim Adams the characteristics which make for a successful business leader our shared with psychopaths.
In his book The Wisdom of the Psychopaths he pulls together a number of scientific studies to show how the emotional detachment and lack of empathy we associate with the psychopath is the trait we admire in the highly skilled brain surgeon or ice cool bomb disposal expert. Adams examines case studies of business leaders and finds that some of the characteristics we associate with psychopaths such as superficial charm, egocentricity, and the boundless optimism of someone who always think things will work in their favour are found more often in the board room than padded cell.
So have you got what it takes or are you in danger of taking it too far? Read this short story and give the first answer that comes into your head.
While attending her mother’s funeral a woman meets a man she has never seen before. She quickly believes him to be her soul mate and falls head over heels. But she forgets to ask for his number and when the wake is over, try as she might, she can’t track him down. A few days later she murders her sister. Why?
If the first answer that springs to mind was along the line of jealousy and revenge as in she found out her sister was having an affair with this man behind her back then you’re the right side of sanity. But if your first response was “because she was hoping the man would turn up to her sister’s funeral” you have the potential to be a cold blooded killer or a chief executive in the NHS.
Blair McPherson author of UnLearing management published by Russell House www.blairmcpherson.co.ukl
