Is Your Boss a Psychopath?

Dogers writes "Robert Hare, creator of the Psychopathy Checklist, has recently been applying his test 'Is your boss a psychopath' to businessmen and has found some disturbing results. From the article: 'Why wouldn't we want to screen them? We screen police officers, teachers. Why not people who are going to handle billions of dollars?'. Citing Enron and Worldcom management as an example, it seems a reasonable argument. The same source also has a quiz (magazine produced it seems) which allows you to test your own boss, too!"

Comments

easy

[justforaday]

Yes! Next question?

New Record

[kevin_conaway]

I think that this could be the very first Slashdot thread composed entirely of AC posts.

Minus this one of course.

Re:New Record

[Anonymous Coward]

Kevin, get back to work NOW! Don't make me come over to your cubicle.

-- Your Boss

Re:New Record

[Hogwash McFly]

I love incorrect moderations; they are usually hilarious. The best are funny posts modded Informative or Interesting, as seen in the grandparent. It seems to indicate the naivete or perhaps even stupidity of the modder, and it makes me laugh out of warm sympathy.

Re:New Record

[kyojin the clown]

Funny mods do not add to your karma, so when people find something funny, they will mod it interesting or informative so the recipient gets the Karma bonus. thats why.

Re:New Record

[Andrewkov]

I prefer to mod people as funny when they post something serious, but wrong.

Slippery Slope

[Alex P Keaton in da]

Should we screen everyone then? On man's psycopath is aanother man's genius.
Although there are psychopaths out there- I had an internship where a boss of mine spend 10 minutes screaming at me for stapling something crooked.

Re:Slippery Slope

[Adelbert]

On man's psycopath is aanother man's genius

An easy test for you: if someone goes around murdering people in a grizzly, macabre fashion then they are probably psychopaths. On the other hand, if they can solve complex differential equations in their heads, they're a genius.

Re:Slippery Slope

[wed128]

what if they can only solve complex differential equations in their heads after recieving the adrenalin rush of murdering people in a grizzly, macabre fashion?

Re:Slippery Slope

[qwijibo]

What if someone solves complex differential equations in their head to help design grizzly, macabre ways of murdering people? It gets a little fuzzy there.

In the business world, it's even fuzzier, because it's harder to differentiate between someone who lays off 1000 people because they're mean from someone who lays them off so the company can stay profitable and keep jobs for everyone else.

Re:Slippery Slope

[Bogtha]

Well then they are obviously psychopathic geniuses.

note to self: do not work for me

[Amoeba]

So apparently I'm in the Be Very Afraid range. Remind me to never go into business for myself or I'll eventually kill the bastard.

Politicians

[AnonymousJackass]

OK, this must mean that about 95% of politicians are psychopaths:
- glib and superficially charming
- grandiose sense of self-worth
- pathological liar
- master manipulator
- lack of remorse or guilt
- shallow
- callous and lacking in empathy
- fail to accept responsibility for his own actions

Yep, that's a politician alright.

Re:15 points

[paulpas]

You're fired for making a grammatical error that a 2nd grader would make.

Next up.. a quiz for bosses..

[Anonymous Coward]

"Is your employee a whining crybaby?"

For each question, score two points for "yes," one point for "somewhat" or "maybe," and zero points for "no."

1) Does he/she frequently post on geek websites, complaining about you being a psychopath?

2) Does your employee hate Microsoft, IBM, the Patent Office, and/or does he feel that somehow his future is threatened by them?

3) Does your employee believe SCO may have a case?

4) Is your employee constantly whining about management decisions like purchasing a Microsoft Exchange server or cisco routers?

5) Did your employee get overly agitated when you decided to pay SCO for their Linux Licenses?

6) Does he/she often speak in a language uncomprehensible to human beings? using words such as "packet" "protocol" or "xfree"

7) Does he/she look frustrated when you make bold management decisions, such as assigning half the company to a research project about sending electricity over fax machines?

8) Is your employee constantly whining about not having enough time or resources in order to achieve his goals?

1-4 | Our condolences. Your employee may be dead.
5-7 | Be cautious about not approaching him.
8-12 | Be afraid of approaching him.
13-16 | Be very afraid of approaching him.

Re:Next up.. a quiz for bosses..

[dapyx]

2) Does your employee hate Microsoft, IBM, the Patent Office, and/or does he feel that somehow his future is threatened by them? An extra point if the answer is yes and you work for Microsoft, IBM and/or Patent Office.

Psycho in Chief

[Doc Ruby]

For each question, score two points for "yes," one point for "somewhat" or "maybe," and zero points for "no."

[1] Is he glib and superficially charming?
[2] Does he have a grandiose sense of self-worth?
[3] Is he a pathological liar?
[4] Is he a con artist or master manipulator?
[5] When he harms other people, does he feel a lack of remorse or guilt?
[6] Does he have a shallow affect?
[7] Is he callous and lacking in empathy?
[8] Does he fail to accept responsibility for his own actions?

1-4 | Be frustrated
5-7 | Be cautious
8-12 | Be afraid
13-16 | Be very afraid

Is psychopathy so bad?

[M trotsky]

From RTFA:

Is he glib and superficially charming? - Is he a people-person?

Does he have a grandiose sense of self-worth? - Does he add value to the company?

Is he a pathological liar? - Does he keep the investors informed

Is he a con artist or master manipulator? - Does he attract new business?

When he harms other people, does he feel a lack of remorse or guilt? - Does he have what it takes to thrive in a competitive enviroment?

Does he have a shallow affect? - Does he let his emotions control his business decisions?

Is he callous and lacking in empathy? - Is he able to place the interests of the company first?

Does he fail to accept responsibility for his own actions? - My personal favorite - Is he able to look at the 'Big Picture'

Re:The question is why do they exist?

[Bimo_Dude]

Yet emergency situations requiring their brashness tend to be very rare.

That just gave me an idea for a business, "Psychopaths On Call." We can have them stay at home with a pager, and companies can hire them by the hour for those tough, decisions of questionable ethics...

I think I'll call my attorney about the legalities of this one.

oh wait...

Re:15 points

[scovetta]

Oh lord. I'm usually part of the grammar police myself. I guess I could say that I was imitating Mauricio by using "your" instead of "you're" on purpose. In fact, that's what I'm going to go with.

Re:What about politicians .....?

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

Are you kidding? For those kinds of jobs, being a psychopath is practically a prerequisite.

US Senate

[hellfire]

I'll see your half dozen communist dictators and raise you 100 US Senators. I'll hold onto my President card just in case you have any thing else to play.