過去一年里,人們對領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力和精神病之間的相互關(guān)系產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣,這或在一定程度上與美國前總統(tǒng)唐納德?特朗普有關(guān)。雖然特朗普的所作所為激起了公憤,但是,工作場所的精神疾病或企業(yè)精神疾病都對我們的生活有著更直接的影響。
企業(yè)精神疾病,尤其是高層領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的精神疾病,會傷及很多人,這是一個道德問題。同時,這一問題可能會讓企業(yè)每年損失數(shù)十億美元。如果我們想要著手解決企業(yè)精神疾病,就需要把它作為一個經(jīng)濟(jì)問題來關(guān)注。
我和同事們在研究中發(fā)現(xiàn),12%的公司高層領(lǐng)導(dǎo)表現(xiàn)出一系列精神病態(tài)的特征,這意味著,精神病態(tài)在高層管理人員中的發(fā)生率達(dá)到了普通人的12倍。
并不是每一位患有精神病的首席執(zhí)行官都會呈現(xiàn)出明顯的癥狀。有些人可能病情較輕,甚至在較嚴(yán)重的病例中,許多精神疾病患者也能避免被他人發(fā)現(xiàn)。當(dāng)他們呈現(xiàn)出精神疾病的一些典型特征,如以自我為中心、掠奪成性、魯莽、缺乏同理心、出現(xiàn)操縱和剝削的傾向時,我們就會發(fā)現(xiàn),那些潛在精神疾病患者的比例原來如此之高。這些高管可能會給組織、員工、他們的客戶和整個社會帶來各種各樣的問題——包括每年數(shù)十億美元的損失和股東財富的減少。
為什么這個問題沒有得到解決?很大程度上是因為它沒有得到更好的認(rèn)識。許多精神疾病患者傾向于表現(xiàn)出與高效領(lǐng)導(dǎo)有關(guān)的廣泛特征,如魅力、口才和創(chuàng)造力。正是這個原因,一些精神疾病患者可以非常成功地在或許很長一段時間內(nèi)都不被發(fā)現(xiàn),特別是如果他們成為了能力特別強(qiáng)的人。
我們的文化也崇拜、鼓舞那些可能歸屬于精神病譜系的成功領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者,或者是那些即使不是真正的精神病患者,但卻表現(xiàn)出精神病患者經(jīng)常具有的特征的人。但現(xiàn)在問題是,雖然精神疾病患者可能充滿魅力和創(chuàng)造力,但他們也可能缺乏前述的社會性的重要品質(zhì),如同理心和道德感。
除了高級管理人員中精神病患者的高患病率外,我們還發(fā)現(xiàn)了性別差異:第一,男性精神病患者的發(fā)病率高于女性;第二,精神病在女性身上的表現(xiàn)形式往往與男性不同。精神變態(tài)得分高的男性,往往符合強(qiáng)勢、無所畏懼、好斗、以自我為中心的大男子主義特征。
精神變態(tài)得分高的女性則往往更加非傳統(tǒng)、叛逆,更有可能違反社會規(guī)范。實際上,女性精神病患者很少被關(guān)注到,這也導(dǎo)致了男性和女性精神病患者的統(tǒng)計學(xué)差異。
除了對企業(yè)組織造成的后果之外,還有一個方面促使組織認(rèn)真對待企業(yè)精神病態(tài):企業(yè)社會責(zé)任(CSR)。如今,對企業(yè)社會責(zé)任的需求顯著增加,尤其是千禧一代和Z世代求職者,以及那些愿意為符合他們價值觀的公司買單的客戶。忽視這一點的公司,實際上是在損害自身的利益。
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)致力于企業(yè)社會責(zé)任的組織,能夠表現(xiàn)出更高的運營績效。但是,由于精神病態(tài)的定義特征之一是缺乏同理心,當(dāng)企業(yè)的精神病態(tài)出現(xiàn)在高層領(lǐng)導(dǎo)中時,一個組織不太可能體現(xiàn)多少企業(yè)社會責(zé)任。
考慮到企業(yè)精神變態(tài)造成的金融、心理和社會危害,再加上千禧一代和Z世代希望公司反映他們的價值觀的事實,不難發(fā)現(xiàn),企業(yè)精神變態(tài)的代價正在變得越來越昂貴。雖然企業(yè)有很多方法可以減少員工中潛在精神病患者的數(shù)量,但首要任務(wù)應(yīng)該是,認(rèn)識到這是一個問題,并停止美化精神病患者所擅長的特質(zhì)。
相反,公司可以從贊美同理心和親社會行為等特質(zhì)開始。(財富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者西蒙?克魯姆系圣迭戈大學(xué)商學(xué)院(University of San Diego School of Business)供應(yīng)鏈管理碩士項目的供應(yīng)鏈管理教授。
編譯:楊二一
過去一年里,人們對領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力和精神病之間的相互關(guān)系產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣,這或在一定程度上與美國前總統(tǒng)唐納德?特朗普有關(guān)。雖然特朗普的所作所為激起了公憤,但是,工作場所的精神疾病或企業(yè)精神疾病都對我們的生活有著更直接的影響。
企業(yè)精神疾病,尤其是高層領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的精神疾病,會傷及很多人,這是一個道德問題。同時,這一問題可能會讓企業(yè)每年損失數(shù)十億美元。如果我們想要著手解決企業(yè)精神疾病,就需要把它作為一個經(jīng)濟(jì)問題來關(guān)注。
我和同事們在研究中發(fā)現(xiàn),12%的公司高層領(lǐng)導(dǎo)表現(xiàn)出一系列精神病態(tài)的特征,這意味著,精神病態(tài)在高層管理人員中的發(fā)生率達(dá)到了普通人的12倍。
并不是每一位患有精神病的首席執(zhí)行官都會呈現(xiàn)出明顯的癥狀。有些人可能病情較輕,甚至在較嚴(yán)重的病例中,許多精神疾病患者也能避免被他人發(fā)現(xiàn)。當(dāng)他們呈現(xiàn)出精神疾病的一些典型特征,如以自我為中心、掠奪成性、魯莽、缺乏同理心、出現(xiàn)操縱和剝削的傾向時,我們就會發(fā)現(xiàn),那些潛在精神疾病患者的比例原來如此之高。這些高管可能會給組織、員工、他們的客戶和整個社會帶來各種各樣的問題——包括每年數(shù)十億美元的損失和股東財富的減少。
為什么這個問題沒有得到解決?很大程度上是因為它沒有得到更好的認(rèn)識。許多精神疾病患者傾向于表現(xiàn)出與高效領(lǐng)導(dǎo)有關(guān)的廣泛特征,如魅力、口才和創(chuàng)造力。正是這個原因,一些精神疾病患者可以非常成功地在或許很長一段時間內(nèi)都不被發(fā)現(xiàn),特別是如果他們成為了能力特別強(qiáng)的人。
我們的文化也崇拜、鼓舞那些可能歸屬于精神病譜系的成功領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者,或者是那些即使不是真正的精神病患者,但卻表現(xiàn)出精神病患者經(jīng)常具有的特征的人。但現(xiàn)在問題是,雖然精神疾病患者可能充滿魅力和創(chuàng)造力,但他們也可能缺乏前述的社會性的重要品質(zhì),如同理心和道德感。
除了高級管理人員中精神病患者的高患病率外,我們還發(fā)現(xiàn)了性別差異:第一,男性精神病患者的發(fā)病率高于女性;第二,精神病在女性身上的表現(xiàn)形式往往與男性不同。精神變態(tài)得分高的男性,往往符合強(qiáng)勢、無所畏懼、好斗、以自我為中心的大男子主義特征。
精神變態(tài)得分高的女性則往往更加非傳統(tǒng)、叛逆,更有可能違反社會規(guī)范。實際上,女性精神病患者很少被關(guān)注到,這也導(dǎo)致了男性和女性精神病患者的統(tǒng)計學(xué)差異。
除了對企業(yè)組織造成的后果之外,還有一個方面促使組織認(rèn)真對待企業(yè)精神病態(tài):企業(yè)社會責(zé)任(CSR)。如今,對企業(yè)社會責(zé)任的需求顯著增加,尤其是千禧一代和Z世代求職者,以及那些愿意為符合他們價值觀的公司買單的客戶。忽視這一點的公司,實際上是在損害自身的利益。
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)致力于企業(yè)社會責(zé)任的組織,能夠表現(xiàn)出更高的運營績效。但是,由于精神病態(tài)的定義特征之一是缺乏同理心,當(dāng)企業(yè)的精神病態(tài)出現(xiàn)在高層領(lǐng)導(dǎo)中時,一個組織不太可能體現(xiàn)多少企業(yè)社會責(zé)任。
考慮到企業(yè)精神變態(tài)造成的金融、心理和社會危害,再加上千禧一代和Z世代希望公司反映他們的價值觀的事實,不難發(fā)現(xiàn),企業(yè)精神變態(tài)的代價正在變得越來越昂貴。雖然企業(yè)有很多方法可以減少員工中潛在精神病患者的數(shù)量,但首要任務(wù)應(yīng)該是,認(rèn)識到這是一個問題,并停止美化精神病患者所擅長的特質(zhì)。
相反,公司可以從贊美同理心和親社會行為等特質(zhì)開始。(財富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者西蒙?克魯姆系圣迭戈大學(xué)商學(xué)院(University of San Diego School of Business)供應(yīng)鏈管理碩士項目的供應(yīng)鏈管理教授。
編譯:楊二一
Over the past year, there’s been a spike of interest in the intersections between leadership and psychopathy, partly fueled perhaps by the former presidency of Donald Trump. While Trump’s behavior fueled much public outrage, psychopathy in the workplace, or corporate psychopathy, arguably has a more direct impact on our lives.
Corporate psychopathy, particularly in high-level leaders, causes much suffering and is therefore an ethical issue. But there’s another issue as well: It potentially costs businesses billions of dollars every year. We need to become more aware of corporate psychopathy as an economic problem if we’re going to do something about it.
My colleagues and I found in our research that 12% of corporate senior leadership displays a range of psychopathic traits, which means psychopathy is up to 12 times more common among senior management than among the general population.
Not every CEO or executive on the spectrum of psychopathy shows obvious signs. Some people may be milder cases, and even among more serious cases, many psychopaths excel at avoiding detection. But when some of the defining traits of psychopathy include egocentricity, predatoriness, recklessness, a lack of empathy, and a propensity for manipulation and exploitation, it doesn’t take a great leap of the imagination to see how a high percentage of unrecognized psychopathy in senior management could lead to all kinds of problems for organizations, their employees, their customers, and society at large—including billions of dollars of losses annually and reduced shareholder wealth.
Why, then, is this problem not addressed? Largely because it isn’t better recognized. Many psychopathic individuals tend to display traits that are widely associated with effective leadership, such as charisma, persuasiveness, and creativity. Psychopaths can often be very successful for this reason, especially if they are high-functioning ones who are able to avoid detection over the long term.
Our culture also glorifies and rewards successful leaders who may lie somewhere on the spectrum of psychopathy or who, if not actually psychopathic, nevertheless display traits that psychopathic individuals frequently have. The problem, of course, is that while psychopaths may have a lot of charisma and creativity, they may also lack, as already mentioned, socially important qualities such as empathy and morality.
Aside from the high prevalence of psychopathy in senior management, we also found fascinating gender differences. One difference is that there is a higher incidence of male psychopaths than female ones. The other difference is that the way psychopathy manifests in women tends to be different from men. Men who score high in psychopathy tend to fit the alpha male archetype of being dominant, fearless, aggressive, and egocentric.
Women who score high in psychopathy, on the other hand, tend to be more unconventional, rebellious, and likely to defy social norms. It may actually be, then, that the psychopathy of females is less recognized and that this contributes to the statistical difference in male and female psychopaths.
Aside from the consequences to an organization caused by corporate psychopathy, there is another dimension that compels organizations to take corporate psychopathy seriously: corporate social responsibility (CSR). Today, there is a marked increase in demand for CSR, particularly among millennial and Gen Z job seekers as well as customers who will work for and patronize companies that align with their values. Companies that ignore this do so to their own detriment.
We found that organizations committed to CSR exhibit higher operational performance. Unfortunately, since one of the defining characteristics of psychopathy is a lack of empathy, it should come as no surprise that when corporate psychopathy is present within senior leadership, an organization is less likely to demonstrate CSR.
When you consider the financial, psychological, and social harm caused by corporate psychopathy, and you add the fact that millennials and Gen Z want to work for and support companies that reflect their values, it’s not hard to see that psychopathy may become increasingly costly for organizations as time goes on. While there are a number of ways that organizations can potentially reduce the number of psychopaths in their ranks, the first order of business should be to recognize that this is a problem and to stop glorifying traits that psychopaths excel at.
Instead, maybe companies should start by glorifying traits like empathy and prosocial behavior instead.
Simon Croom is a professor of supply chain management in the master's in supply chain management program at the University of San Diego School of Business.