“Psychopaths are without conscience and incapable of empathy, guilt or loyalty to anyone but themselves” (PAUL BABIAK & ROBERT HARE 2006).
“Psychopaths couldn’t care less about the feelings of others or rules of society. Where others seek to build, they destroy” (OLDHAM & MORRIS 1995).
“Psychopaths usually don’t get along well with another. The last thing as egocentric, selfish, demanding, callous person is someone like him” (ROBERT HARE 1999).
“Many psychopaths appear to function reasonably well as lawyers, doctor, psychiatrists, academics, mercenaries, police officers, cult leaders, military personnel, business people, writers, artists, entertainers, and so forth, without breaking the law, or at least without being caught and convicted” ( ROBERT HARE 1999).
Controversy surrounds the concept of psychopath (pathopatic personality and sociopath are sometimes used synonymously). Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterised by people who have no conscience and are incapable of empathy, guilt or loyalty to anyone but themselves. Sociopathy is a non psychiatric condition and refers to those who are anti-social and criminal and follow the norms and subculture of a particular subculture. Antisocial personality disorder is a broad category that embraces both of the above.
Some believe diagnosing or calling someone a psychopath is vague, contradictory and used by psychiatrists as a sort of wastebasket category for people too difficult or dangerous to diagnose. But the condition has become well known since the famous book by Cleckley (1976) called The Mask of Sanity. His second book was called Without Conscience. Considerable research has been done over the last 30 years on this difficult condition and there a now many popular books as well as serious academic papers trying to understand the aetiology, manifestation and "cure" for this disorder.
Diagnostic Criteria
Psychopaths show a disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others. They often have a history of being difficult, delinquent or dangerous.
1. They show a failure to confirm to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours (repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest, imprisonment and serious detention). This includes, lying, stealing and cheating.
2.They are always deceitful, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. They are nasty, aggressive, con artists – the sort who often get profiled on business crime programmes.
3.They are massively impulsive and fail to plan ahead. They live only in, and for, the present.
4.They show irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. They can’t seem to keep still – ever.
5.They manifest a terrifying reckless disregard for the physical and psychological safety of others – or the business in general.
6.They are famous for being consistently irresponsible. Repeated failure to sustain consistent work behaviour or to honour financial obligations are their hallmark.
7.Most frustrating of all, they show a lack of remorse. They are indifferent to, or rationalise, having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. They never learn from their mistakes. It can seem like labelling them as antisocial is a serious understatement.
The recent triarchic model, suggests that different conceptions of psychopathy emphasize three observable characteristics to varying degrees:
Boldness: high self-confidence and social assertiveness. Disinhibition. Poor impulse control.lack of affect and urge control, need for immediate gratification, and poor behavioral restraints.
Meanness. Lacking empathy and few close attachments,, exploitative tendencies, defiance to authority. Being a psychopath affects every aspect of their lives. Overall in their life they tend to be impulsive and irresponsible with few clear life goals. They have a history of problems with authority and poor behavioural controls. They lack empathy and remorse and never accept responsibility for their action.
The following are typical characteristics: First, thrill-seeking behaviour and disregard of conventions. Second, inability to control impulses or delay gratification (they want everything done – now). Third, the rejection of authority and discipline from any source. Next generally, poor judgement about behaviour but good judgement about abstract situations. Most noticeably failure to alter behaviour punished in the past. In this sense punishment does not work on them. Sixth their hallmark is pathological, shameless and constant lying, which is manifest in asocial and antisocial behaviour.
They have been called hollow – their relationships are superficial and they have no loyalty to any except themselves. They have little sense of who they are and have no value-system or long-range goals. Most of all they cannot “bide time”. They like the here and now and an exciting one at that. They eschew stability and routine. They like lots of excitement. Further, they often seem devoid of social or physical anxiety.
Psychopaths have nearly always been in trouble with the law and authority figures like leaders. What gets them into trouble is impulsiveness. They are not planners and think little about either the victim of their crime or the consequences for themselves. Crimes are often petty, deceitful and thefts but are most often fraud, forgery and failure to pay debts.
The first response to being caught is to escape, leaving colleagues, family or debtors to pick up the pieces. They do so without a qualm. The next response is to lie with apparent candour and sincerity even under oath and to even parents and loved ones. They behave as if social rules and regulations do not really apply to them. They have no respect for authorities and institutions, families and traditions.
Psychopaths are at the mercy of their impulses. Whereas neurotics tend to be over-controlled, the psychopath shows inadequate control. They are childlike in their demands for immediate total gratification. They also seek thrills, often associated with alcohol, drugs, gambling and sex.
They never learn from experience, consistently repeating illegal and immoral acts. They maintain their lying, swindling, thieving and deserting despite being frequently caught and punished because they tend to be careless about being caught. They make poor efforts to conceal wrongdoing believing they have special protection, privileges or immunity to punishment.
They have to keep ‘on the move’ because they get to be known in the community. Their geographic and vocational mobility is indeed a good index of their pathology. They have to make up stories of their past.
Curiously, when asked about justice and morality in abstract, they tend to give ‘correct’ conventional answers. They just don’t apply this knowledge of right and wrong to themselves. This is particularly the case when their judgement conflicts with their personal demands for immediate gratification.
Psychopaths have inevitably problematic relationships. They seem incapable of love and deep friendship for several reasons. They manifest a near complete absence of empathy, gratefulness and altruism. They are selfish not self-sacrificial. Most crucially they appear not to understand others’ emotions. They seem completely ungrateful for the help and affection of others. It is difficult to have a good relationship with a self-centred, selfish, egocentric individual. Others are seen as a source of gain and pleasure irrespective of their discomfort, disappointment or pain. Others’ needs are too trivial.
Lack of empathy and vanity means the psychopath finds it difficult to predict how others will behave and which of his or her own many behaviours will lead to punishment. Psychopaths are in essence completely amoral. They accept no responsibility for their actions and therefore no blame, guilt, shame or remorse. They are able to mouth trite excuses and rationalistions for the benefit of others. Indeed they often have a convincing façade of competence and maturity. They can appear attentive, charming, mature and reliable – but have difficulty maintaining the façade. They can do so long enough to get a job or even get married but not to sustain either. The restless, impetuous, selfishness soon emerges.
Psychopaths at work
The first question is why they are attracted to certain jobs and they to them. They seem attracted to entrepreneurial, start-up business or those in the business or radical change such as when delayering. It is when businesses are chaotic that they are often at their best.
Psychopaths at work are often called ‘normal’ or 'industrial' or even ‘successful’ psychopaths because they appear to be relatively normal and successful at work. They ‘succeed’ for various reasons but tend to adopt strategies that lead them to cope. They build up a network of one-to-one relationships with powerful, useful and influential people.
They find out how various people can help them, exploit them and then ‘cast them aside’ irrespective of the promises they have made. They avoid group/committee meetings because they say very different things to different people and can’t present a single façade or voice that is coherent. Co-workers, colleagues and reports are frequently abandoned when their usefulness is at an end. They deliberately create conflict between individuals to try to prevent them sharing information about them. All distractors are ‘neutralised’ not so much by violence or threats but raising doubts about their integrity and loyalty as well as their competence. They seek out organisations in flux or change as well as those with poor monitoring systems so that they are rarely threatened or challenged.
Dealing with Psychopaths
How to deal with the psychopath? Easier said than done, however Dotlich and Cairo (2003) offer four pieces of advice for what is, no doubt a successful psychopath
1. Encourage them to take ownership for their actions and interrogate their rule breaking, consequence-ignoring behaviors.
2. Encourage them to think clearly about which rules they will really follow as opposed to break.
3. They may benefit from being on the receiving end of the sort mischief they dish out.
4.They may benefit from confiding in a coach.
Oldham and Morris (2000) offer “tips on dealing with the adventurous person in your life”. That is their popular term for psychopath:
“First have fun but be careful: your partner seeks excitement through charming, disarming, adventurousness. Next, have no illusions about changing him or her: they won’t or can’t so you have to be the flexible one. Third don’t crowd them or try to keep them on the traditional ’straight and narrow’ path. Fourth, you have to be responsible for ones’ safety, others welfare.....because they won’t be. Next know your limits for excitement, risk, drugs etc. because he/she will draw you into their world. Sixth, don’t expect much support and help because you are not going to get it so you need to be strong, resilient, tough. Finally stay as sexy as you are. Keep your sexual relationship interesting and lively. Toss your inhibitions and be ready and willing to experiment”. (p. 243)
Babiak and Hare (2006) offer lots of advice to people dealing with psychopaths. The following is their advice if the psychopath is the client.
“1.Get paid up front. If you lose the case, you will be blamed and unpaid. If you win the case, the client will take the credit and you still be unpaid.
2. Be very careful about boundaries. The client is not your friend, and will collect and use against you whatever information is obtained. (This includes information related to the case and related to you personally.)
3. Remain in charge. A psychopathic client will attempt to run the show and to manipulate you and the system, making your job much harder.
4. Don’t take at face value the client’s description of events or interactions with others. Check everything out.
5. Be aware that the client will distort and minimize his or her criminal history. When confronted with the inaccuracies, the client will offer excuses that place the blame on defence attorney, a corrupt system, or others.
6. The client will flatter you as long as things are going smoothly. If the case goes sideways, often because of the client’s tendency to take charge and to ignore advice, you will become the enemy.
7. Keep copious notes on everything.” (p. 314)
It is difficult to estimate the number of successful “industrial” psychopaths. It is also sometimes difficult to explain why they “get away with it” for so long. However it is no mystery when enquiring from those who do or have worked with a successful psychopath how much misery or dysfunctionality they can bring to the workplace.
The idea is that psychopaths easily get hired using charm and blatant lies. Next they soon identify, befriend, woo and ‘sweet-talk’ all the powerful “key-players” in the organization. They build these people into a support network aimed both to establish their own reputation but more importantly undermine their potential opponents. Next they abandon those who have been useful to them.
The issue with the psychopathic boss is whether they are subclinical vs. clinical psychopaths and what in fact “pushes” them over the limits.
Hare (1999) in his clinical study of psychopaths asks “can anything be done?” He says nothing seems to work precisely because psychopaths see no reason to change. Further therapy can make them worse because it teaches them more effectively how to deceive, manipulate and use people. They learn therapy language (getting in touch with their feelings) without ever actually changing.
However he does offer a survival guide that comes under two headings: Protect Yourself and Damage Control. The former is a warning to be on your guard; disregard their clever acting; beware of their flattery; feigned kindness and tall stories; and know yourself because psychopaths are skilled at detecting vulnerability. He also warns those who deal with psychopaths to be very aware of who the victim is. That is psychopaths like to portray themselves as victims yet you are likely to be it.
Hare (1999) warns those who associate with psychopaths to be aware of their power struggles and to set firm ground rules to prevent manipulation. He also advises to cut your losses: the psychopath’s appetite for power and control knows no bounds and is best left to their own devices.
In their practical, popular and work oriented book on successful psychopaths, Babiak and Hare (2006) note how psychopaths attempt to ruin others reputation in terms of their competence and loyalty. They operate as brilliant manipulators and puppeteers to destroy your reputation. Because they try to create conflict in work teams through “divide and conquer”, it is important to build and maintain relationships at work. They offer seven pieces of advice if your boss is a psychopath.
1. Build, nurture and maintain your (true) reputation as a good performer.
2. Keep records of everything and put it in writing.
3. Make use of, and be very wary of, the performance appraisal process.
4. Avoid confrontation by minimizing contact and never responding to bait.
5. Be very wary about making a formal complaint as anonymity is not always assured and retribution very likely to follow.
6. If you have to (by transfer, resignation), do so on good terms.
7. Move on remembering the lesson.
They offer similar advice for the psychopathic co-worker, subordinate or client.
Babiak and Hare (2000) suggest that there is a common pattern when psychopaths join a company. They charm at assessment and through their honeymoon period. Soon they become manipulative and disparaging to others and doing flagrant-image enhancement. Then they confront others by trying to neutralise enemies and abandoning those of little use to them. Finally, if successful, they tend to abandon their patrons as they move ever upward and onward. To be alerted to the possibility of this pattern may help identify psychopaths before it is too late.
References
Babiak, P. (1995). When psychopaths go to work: A case study of an industrial psychopath. Applied Psychology, 44, 171-188.
Babiak, P., & Hare, R. (2006) Snakes in Suits. New York: Regan Books.
Cleckley, H. (1941). The Mask of Sanity. St. Louis, MI: C. V. Mosby.
Dotlich, D & Cairo, P. (2003). Why CEOs Fail. New York: Jossey Bass
Furnham, A. (2015). Backstabbers and Bullies. London: Bloomsbury.
Hare, R. (1999). Without Conscience. New York: Guilford Press.
Miller, L. (2008). From Difficult to Disturbed. New York: Amacom.
Oldham, J., & Morris, L. (1991). Personality self-portrait. New York: Bantam.
“Psychopaths are without conscience and incapable of empathy, guilt or loyalty to anyone but themselves” (PAUL BABIAK & ROBERT HARE 2006).
“Psychopaths couldn’t care less about the feelings of others or rules of society. Where others seek to build, they destroy” (OLDHAM & MORRIS 1995).
“Psychopaths usually don’t get along well with another. The last thing as egocentric, selfish, demanding, callous person is someone like him” (ROBERT HARE 1999).
“Many psychopaths appear to function reasonably well as lawyers, doctor, psychiatrists, academics, mercenaries, police officers, cult leaders, military personnel, business people, writers, artists, entertainers, and so forth, without breaking the law, or at least without being caught and convicted” ( ROBERT HARE 1999).
Controversy surrounds the concept of psychopath (pathopatic personality and sociopath are sometimes used synonymously). Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterised by people who have no conscience and are incapable of empathy, guilt or loyalty to anyone but themselves. Sociopathy is a non psychiatric condition and refers to those who are anti-social and criminal and follow the norms and subculture of a particular subculture. Antisocial personality disorder is a broad category that embraces both of the above.
Some believe diagnosing or calling someone a psychopath is vague, contradictory and used by psychiatrists as a sort of wastebasket category for people too difficult or dangerous to diagnose. But the condition has become well known since the famous book by Cleckley (1976) called The Mask of Sanity. His second book was called Without Conscience. Considerable research has been done over the last 30 years on this difficult condition and there a now many popular books as well as serious academic papers trying to understand the aetiology, manifestation and "cure" for this disorder.
Diagnostic Criteria
Psychopaths show a disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others. They often have a history of being difficult, delinquent or dangerous.
1. They show a failure to confirm to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours (repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest, imprisonment and serious detention). This includes, lying, stealing and cheating.
2.They are always deceitful, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. They are nasty, aggressive, con artists – the sort who often get profiled on business crime programmes.
3.They are massively impulsive and fail to plan ahead. They live only in, and for, the present.
4.They show irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. They can’t seem to keep still – ever.
5.They manifest a terrifying reckless disregard for the physical and psychological safety of others – or the business in general.
6.They are famous for being consistently irresponsible. Repeated failure to sustain consistent work behaviour or to honour financial obligations are their hallmark.
7.Most frustrating of all, they show a lack of remorse. They are indifferent to, or rationalise, having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. They never learn from their mistakes. It can seem like labelling them as antisocial is a serious understatement.
The recent triarchic model, suggests that different conceptions of psychopathy emphasize three observable characteristics to varying degrees:
Boldness: high self-confidence and social assertiveness.
Disinhibition. Poor impulse control.lack of affect and urge control, need for immediate gratification, and poor behavioral restraints.
Meanness. Lacking empathy and few close attachments,, exploitative tendencies, defiance to authority. Being a psychopath affects every aspect of their lives. Overall in their life they tend to be impulsive and irresponsible with few clear life goals. They have a history of problems with authority and poor behavioural controls. They lack empathy and remorse and never accept responsibility for their action.
The following are typical characteristics: First, thrill-seeking behaviour and disregard of conventions. Second, inability to control impulses or delay gratification (they want everything done – now). Third, the rejection of authority and discipline from any source. Next generally, poor judgement about behaviour but good judgement about abstract situations. Most noticeably failure to alter behaviour punished in the past. In this sense punishment does not work on them. Sixth their hallmark is pathological, shameless and constant lying, which is manifest in asocial and antisocial behaviour.
They have been called hollow – their relationships are superficial and they have no loyalty to any except themselves. They have little sense of who they are and have no value-system or long-range goals. Most of all they cannot “bide time”. They like the here and now and an exciting one at that. They eschew stability and routine. They like lots of excitement. Further, they often seem devoid of social or physical anxiety.
Psychopaths have nearly always been in trouble with the law and authority figures like leaders. What gets them into trouble is impulsiveness. They are not planners and think little about either the victim of their crime or the consequences for themselves. Crimes are often petty, deceitful and thefts but are most often fraud, forgery and failure to pay debts.
The first response to being caught is to escape, leaving colleagues, family or debtors to pick up the pieces. They do so without a qualm. The next response is to lie with apparent candour and sincerity even under oath and to even parents and loved ones. They behave as if social rules and regulations do not really apply to them. They have no respect for authorities and institutions, families and traditions.
Psychopaths are at the mercy of their impulses. Whereas neurotics tend to be over-controlled, the psychopath shows inadequate control. They are childlike in their demands for immediate total gratification. They also seek thrills, often associated with alcohol, drugs, gambling and sex.
They never learn from experience, consistently repeating illegal and immoral acts. They maintain their lying, swindling, thieving and deserting despite being frequently caught and punished because they tend to be careless about being caught. They make poor efforts to conceal wrongdoing believing they have special protection, privileges or immunity to punishment.
They have to keep ‘on the move’ because they get to be known in the community. Their geographic and vocational mobility is indeed a good index of their pathology. They have to make up stories of their past.
Curiously, when asked about justice and morality in abstract, they tend to give ‘correct’ conventional answers. They just don’t apply this knowledge of right and wrong to themselves. This is particularly the case when their judgement conflicts with their personal demands for immediate gratification.
Psychopaths have inevitably problematic relationships. They seem incapable of love and deep friendship for several reasons. They manifest a near complete absence of empathy, gratefulness and altruism. They are selfish not self-sacrificial. Most crucially they appear not to understand others’ emotions. They seem completely ungrateful for the help and affection of others. It is difficult to have a good relationship with a self-centred, selfish, egocentric individual. Others are seen as a source of gain and pleasure irrespective of their discomfort, disappointment or pain. Others’ needs are too trivial.
Lack of empathy and vanity means the psychopath finds it difficult to predict how others will behave and which of his or her own many behaviours will lead to punishment. Psychopaths are in essence completely amoral. They accept no responsibility for their actions and therefore no blame, guilt, shame or remorse. They are able to mouth trite excuses and rationalistions for the benefit of others. Indeed they often have a convincing façade of competence and maturity. They can appear attentive, charming, mature and reliable – but have difficulty maintaining the façade. They can do so long enough to get a job or even get married but not to sustain either. The restless, impetuous, selfishness soon emerges.
Psychopaths at work
The first question is why they are attracted to certain jobs and they to them. They seem attracted to entrepreneurial, start-up business or those in the business or radical change such as when delayering. It is when businesses are chaotic that they are often at their best.
Psychopaths at work are often called ‘normal’ or 'industrial' or even ‘successful’ psychopaths because they appear to be relatively normal and successful at work. They ‘succeed’ for various reasons but tend to adopt strategies that lead them to cope. They build up a network of one-to-one relationships with powerful, useful and influential people.
They find out how various people can help them, exploit them and then ‘cast them aside’ irrespective of the promises they have made. They avoid group/committee meetings because they say very different things to different people and can’t present a single façade or voice that is coherent. Co-workers, colleagues and reports are frequently abandoned when their usefulness is at an end. They deliberately create conflict between individuals to try to prevent them sharing information about them. All distractors are ‘neutralised’ not so much by violence or threats but raising doubts about their integrity and loyalty as well as their competence. They seek out organisations in flux or change as well as those with poor monitoring systems so that they are rarely threatened or challenged.
Dealing with Psychopaths
How to deal with the psychopath? Easier said than done, however Dotlich and Cairo (2003) offer four pieces of advice for what is, no doubt a successful psychopath
1. Encourage them to take ownership for their actions and interrogate their rule breaking, consequence-ignoring behaviors.
2. Encourage them to think clearly about which rules they will really follow as opposed to break.
3. They may benefit from being on the receiving end of the sort mischief they dish out.
4.They may benefit from confiding in a coach.
Oldham and Morris (2000) offer “tips on dealing with the adventurous person in your life”. That is their popular term for psychopath:
“First have fun but be careful: your partner seeks excitement through charming, disarming, adventurousness. Next, have no illusions about changing him or her: they won’t or can’t so you have to be the flexible one. Third don’t crowd them or try to keep them on the traditional ’straight and narrow’ path. Fourth, you have to be responsible for ones’ safety, others welfare.....because they won’t be. Next know your limits for excitement, risk, drugs etc. because he/she will draw you into their world. Sixth, don’t expect much support and help because you are not going to get it so you need to be strong, resilient, tough. Finally stay as sexy as you are. Keep your sexual relationship interesting and lively. Toss your inhibitions and be ready and willing to experiment”. (p. 243)
Babiak and Hare (2006) offer lots of advice to people dealing with psychopaths. The following is their advice if the psychopath is the client.
“1.Get paid up front. If you lose the case, you will be blamed and unpaid. If you win the case, the client will take the credit and you still be unpaid.
2. Be very careful about boundaries. The client is not your friend, and will collect and use against you whatever information is obtained. (This includes information related to the case and related to you personally.)
3. Remain in charge. A psychopathic client will attempt to run the show and to manipulate you and the system, making your job much harder.
4. Don’t take at face value the client’s description of events or interactions with others. Check everything out.
5. Be aware that the client will distort and minimize his or her criminal history. When confronted with the inaccuracies, the client will offer excuses that place the blame on defence attorney, a corrupt system, or others.
6. The client will flatter you as long as things are going smoothly. If the case goes sideways, often because of the client’s tendency to take charge and to ignore advice, you will become the enemy.
7. Keep copious notes on everything.” (p. 314)
It is difficult to estimate the number of successful “industrial” psychopaths. It is also sometimes difficult to explain why they “get away with it” for so long. However it is no mystery when enquiring from those who do or have worked with a successful psychopath how much misery or dysfunctionality they can bring to the workplace.
The idea is that psychopaths easily get hired using charm and blatant lies. Next they soon identify, befriend, woo and ‘sweet-talk’ all the powerful “key-players” in the organization. They build these people into a support network aimed both to establish their own reputation but more importantly undermine their potential opponents. Next they abandon those who have been useful to them.
The issue with the psychopathic boss is whether they are subclinical vs. clinical psychopaths and what in fact “pushes” them over the limits.
Hare (1999) in his clinical study of psychopaths asks “can anything be done?” He says nothing seems to work precisely because psychopaths see no reason to change. Further therapy can make them worse because it teaches them more effectively how to deceive, manipulate and use people. They learn therapy language (getting in touch with their feelings) without ever actually changing.
However he does offer a survival guide that comes under two headings: Protect Yourself and Damage Control. The former is a warning to be on your guard; disregard their clever acting; beware of their flattery; feigned kindness and tall stories; and know yourself because psychopaths are skilled at detecting vulnerability. He also warns those who deal with psychopaths to be very aware of who the victim is. That is psychopaths like to portray themselves as victims yet you are likely to be it.
Hare (1999) warns those who associate with psychopaths to be aware of their power struggles and to set firm ground rules to prevent manipulation. He also advises to cut your losses: the psychopath’s appetite for power and control knows no bounds and is best left to their own devices.
In their practical, popular and work oriented book on successful psychopaths, Babiak and Hare (2006) note how psychopaths attempt to ruin others reputation in terms of their competence and loyalty. They operate as brilliant manipulators and puppeteers to destroy your reputation. Because they try to create conflict in work teams through “divide and conquer”, it is important to build and maintain relationships at work. They offer seven pieces of advice if your boss is a psychopath.
1. Build, nurture and maintain your (true) reputation as a good performer.
2. Keep records of everything and put it in writing.
3. Make use of, and be very wary of, the performance appraisal process.
4. Avoid confrontation by minimizing contact and never responding to bait.
5. Be very wary about making a formal complaint as anonymity is not always assured and retribution very likely to follow.
6. If you have to (by transfer, resignation), do so on good terms.
7. Move on remembering the lesson.
They offer similar advice for the psychopathic co-worker, subordinate or client.
Babiak and Hare (2000) suggest that there is a common pattern when psychopaths join a company. They charm at assessment and through their honeymoon period. Soon they become manipulative and disparaging to others and doing flagrant-image enhancement. Then they confront others by trying to neutralise enemies and abandoning those of little use to them. Finally, if successful, they tend to abandon their patrons as they move ever upward and onward. To be alerted to the possibility of this pattern may help identify psychopaths before it is too late.
References
Babiak, P. (1995). When psychopaths go to work: A case study of an industrial psychopath. Applied Psychology, 44, 171-188.
Babiak, P., & Hare, R. (2006) Snakes in Suits. New York: Regan Books.
Cleckley, H. (1941). The Mask of Sanity. St. Louis, MI: C. V. Mosby.
Dotlich, D & Cairo, P. (2003). Why CEOs Fail. New York: Jossey Bass
Furnham, A. (2015). Backstabbers and Bullies. London: Bloomsbury.
Hare, R. (1999). Without Conscience. New York: Guilford Press.
Miller, L. (2008). From Difficult to Disturbed. New York: Amacom.
Oldham, J., & Morris, L. (1991). Personality self-portrait. New York: Bantam.