You can call me ... boss.
Source: News Limited
THEY'RE the villain of the moment, portrayed as a hidden menace who lurks quietly among us.
But new research from the Australian School of Business shows despite their bad reputation, psychopaths can make good bosses, particularly if it's their own company they're running.
PhD student Benjamin Walker and Business Psychology professor Chris Jackson conducted three experiments using more than 600 people from the general population. They found that people with psychopathic traits can make great entrepreneurs because they are not afraid to fail or make bold and risky decisions.
"We found that people that had a high risk-taking score had high psychopathic tendency and also entrepreneurial tendencies," Mr Walker said.
"The underlying qualities are not negative per se, they are neutral and can lead to positive or negative things."
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Watch a video of Ben's presentation below
The researchers predicted that just as psychopaths in prison have a higher chance of reoffending because they aren't put off by punishment, entrepreneurs with the same tendencies can bounce back from failures.
"The personality traits of fearlessness and insensitivity to punishment lead entrepreneurs to jump off buildings - and that is why they may also be unafraid to start multiple businesses. Look at serial entrepreneurs like Richard Branson - if a business fails, he shrugs it off and says: 'businesses opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming'," Mr Walker said.
Risk-taking can also be an asset when it comes to business, as the dynamic tendencies of those with psychopathic traits can help drive companies out of a slump.
"One thing they're not is passive," Mr Walker said, adding that many quickly climb the corporate ladder going from one job to the next.
Psychopathic traits can be great when it comes to making bold or risky decisions. Picture: John Moore/AFP
Source: AFP
"The fact they're not stable could mean they're not good managers but on the flip side if they're in an organisation where they have a lot of flexibility they might actually be really good in that situation."
However Mr Walker said where teamwork was involved, it could be a double-edged sword.
"Organisations should be careful who they promote to CEO level. While risk-taking during punishing circumstances can be advantageous, in many cases it can be a problem. It is important that the CEO is supported by more inhibited staff members to ensure appropriate risk-taking within a company."
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