Pawns, Patrons, and Patsies: Roles in the Psychopath’s Drama
“There’ll be two of us,” said Ron to the host who greeted him at the door.
“Okay, follow me,” she said, picking up two menus and indicating for Ron to follow her. “Is this okay?” she asked.
“This is great,” said Ron, smiling, as he took a seat facing the door and placed the paper bag under the table next to his feet. The host positioned the menus on the table and removed the extra tableware, leaving two place settings.
“Gloria will be with you shortly,” she said, smiling. “Can I get you a drink while you’re waiting?”
“Two martinis, one dirty and one extra dry,” said Ron, not looking up from the menu. Ron was the best salesperson the company had ever seen. He was a master of the face-to-face sale and had gotten customers who had had long-term relationships with competitors to switch to his company. Ron had a carefree lifestyle, enjoying many benefits at work such as a company-leased luxury car (significantly above the standard allowed for a field salesperson at his level) and an expense account for entertaining clients. Everyone seemed to look the other way when Ron’s expense reports came in for processing. Occasionally, the liquor bills, visits to gentlemen’s clubs, and other obviously out-of-the-ordinary things were questioned, but with his boss’s signature on the reports, there was little the accounting department could do, other than roll their eyes and joke about how the West Coast handled business dealings. The few times Ron’s boss, Joe, the regional sales manager, pushed back, Ron simply talked his way around it, promising a big sale down the road. Ron was very persuasive and knew how to play Joe very well.
Joe arrived shortly, a bit out of breath, and found Ron perusing the menu.
“Hey, Ron, you’re looking great—sorry I’m late. Traffic, as usual,” said Joe, extending his hand.
“Joe, good to see you,” responded Ron, rising briefly to offer Joe a firm handshake. “There’s a New York strip special today; hope you’re hungry.”
“More thirsty than hungry,” he started to say, just as the server returned with the drinks. Ron indicated which drink was Joe’s and waved the server off.
“To another great month,” Ron said loudly, raising his glass. They both sipped their drinks and got down to business. Ron pulled out his latest call report and handed it to Joe. Despite the lack of sales for this month, Ron had made a significant effort “beating the bushes,” meeting almost daily with potentially large clients. “And here’s my expense report,” said Ron, handing it to him with a pen on top. Joe pretended to read it, merely glancing actually, as he signed the report. “Thanks, Joe,” said Ron, reaching under the table for the bag and sliding it across the floor toward Joe.
Ron waved to the server, indicating that they needed two more drinks as they continued discussing baseball scores, the weather, and Joe’s grandchildren. Sipping his second martini, Joe said, “Ron, I have some news for you.”
“Oh?” questioned Ron, motioning to the server.
“Ron, I’ve decided to take my retirement; I’ll be leaving the company at the end of this month.”
“Joe, that’s great. Congratulations! What made you decide?” asked Ron.
“Well, they’ve offered me a package, and with our last kid now out of college, my wife and I decided to sell our house and move up to the lake. The stress is getting to be too much for me, as you know, and I guess they realized it, too.”
“So, when are they going to move on your replacement?” hinted Ron with a smile. Ron knew that Joe had repeatedly recommended him for a promotion based on his performance review and he eagerly anticipated Joe congratulating him on his promotion.
“That’s just it, Ron,” started Joe slowly. “They’re not telling me. I’ve heard rumors that they want to use the regional job as a developmental position for someone else on the plan. They may rotate someone in from one of the other regions.”
“What!” exclaimed Ron, his face starting to get red. “What do you mean, someone from the other regions? I’m the best there is, I know the territory, I deserve the promotion; you put me in as your replacement, right? Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“Yes, I know. Of course, I put you on the plan—every year when they ask, I tell them you’re ready to move up now, but they—”
“That’s unacceptable!” charged Ron. “Who’s making this decision?”
“Personnel, of course.”
“You know, they have no clue what this job entails. Who are they to do this? What does Sam say?” Ron asked pointedly about Joe’s boss, the VP of sales.
“I had it out with Sam, Ron, arguing for you to get the job; honest, I did. However, Sam hasn’t been able to convince the selection committee. They’re hung up on the sales figures as well as some of the other stuff.”
“Listen, Joe, let me call your wife. I’ll explain to her that your stress is—”
“Ron,” interrupted Joe, “my wife didn’t make the decision to retire; I did.” Joe looked down and then up into Ron’s eyes, saying, “Well, they made the decision for me. It’s the best for all of us.”
“I can’t believe they forced you out after all these years.”
“Times change, and I guess I have to, too. They’re offering to pay for a program, as part of the deal, to help with my problem.”
“You don’t have any problem, Joe,” said Ron.
“Thanks, Ron, but both you and I know I do,” said Joe, lowering his voice. “I think they have my best interest at heart. Few people get this kind of support when they go. They really want me to straighten myself out.”
The server arrived to take their order, and Ron picked out a special wine to celebrate Joe’s retirement.
The rest of the afternoon was loud and raucous, like all the previous monthly lunch meetings between them. On the surface, Ron appeared happy for Joe and talked about visiting him and his wife up at the lake, fishing, and barbecuing. In his mind, however, he was planning his next move.
After lunch, they shook hands and exchanged a big bear hug. “I’ll process these,” said Joe, picking up the paperwork.
“Don’t forget the package,” reminded Ron, indicating the single-malt under the table.
“I won’t be needing that anymore; I’m on a new path now. Thanks, though, you’ve always understood. I’ll miss working with you.”
Ron entered his corporate-paid apartment. “Damn,” he swore, falling into the easy chair in the living room. He picked up his cell phone and began dialing. This would be a long night on the phone; time to call in some favors and get some dirt on his rivals for the promotion.
Jack got the promotion into the regional manager position, and was now Ron’s boss. A methodical, focused, and detail-oriented person, Jack spent considerable time reviewing each salesperson’s performance record and then planned to meet personally with each member of the sales team to establish objectives, meeting schedules, and new performance measures.
Ron had also done his homework: his friends in personnel gave him the lowdown on Jack’s performance record (stellar); his friends in accounting gave him insight into Jack’s spending habits (which paled against his own); and even his peers in Jack’s old region gave him insights into his personal style and family details. As Jack moved through the region meeting individually with the salespeople, Ron followed up with calls to his colleagues to find out what Jack was saying. When Jack arrived for his meeting with him, Ron was ready.
While the others complied with the new procedures willingly, those who knew him waited to see how Ron would respond. Ron’s reputation in the company as a “raconteur” had always been a cause of concern among the sales management committee. He had learned from his old boss Joe, an old-school “belly-to-belly” salesperson, how to gain customers and close deals using personal influence and personal charisma, but this style was growing less effective with the Internet’s arrival, better-informed potential clients, and a new breed of sophisticated, hard-driving competitors. Sam, the VP, had inherited the Ron-and-Joe team a few years earlier. Knowing that Joe was close to retirement age, he tolerated his laissez-faire management style, but he never liked the fact that Joe protected Ron, covering for him when he missed targets and approving expenditures that exceeded corporate guidelines. With Joe gone, Ron’s performance was fair game, and Jack was going to take care of the problem.
Jack and Ron met for a lunch meeting in Ron’s territory. Ron started with the sweet approach, trying to butter Jack up with a congratulatory bottle of wine, small talk about Jack’s kids’ soccer games, and stacks of positive performance reviews written by Joe, miscellaneous charts, and letters of thanks from big customers (and long-term friends). Jack was not so easily swayed. When Jack began explaining how he wanted to manage the region and presented Ron with his new requirements, Ron started pushing back, eventually raising his voice enough to get the attention of other diners in the fine restaurant. He argued that he didn’t need any more controls than those previously imposed by Joe, and promised to deliver whatever Jack needed to make him look good in the eyes of top management. Jack had heard that Ron would sometimes get loud in order to get his way, so he decided to hear him out, but then come back firmly. Ron’s arguments eventually turned into veiled threats of turning the other salespeople against Jack, legal action, and possible damage to Jack’s career.
This guy’s nuts, thought Jack as Ron continued his arguments, almost ranting and raving. Sensing that Ron was about to end the meeting and walk out, Jack said, “Look, Ron, I appreciate all you have done, but the industry has changed. We’re no longer in the cat-bird seat with our products, and this region—your region—is the weakest link.”
“Then you—they—should have fired Joe years ago!” said Ron, finally. “I’ve been covering for him since I got here. Do you know what it’s like working for . . .” Ron paused, and then continued, his voice cracking slightly, “someone who’s never around when you need him to close a deal, can’t get any advice worth listening to, forced to always cover for him? I’ve been all alone here, Jack, fighting for the company, and this is how they reward me—with more procedures, more demands, more grief!”
Although Joe’s drinking problem had been an open secret in the region, others outside the region did not know, so Jack was taken aback by this revelation. His initial feeling was that this was an inappropriate topic for them to discuss, but Ron’s persistence and obvious frustration began to get to him. He listened more carefully to Ron’s difficulties in dealing with Joe, trying to apply some of the management techniques he had learned. He stroked Ron’s ego and reflected his understanding of Ron’s dilemma. By the end of the conversation—once Ron had calmed down—Jack promised to help Ron reorient his sales approach to what the company now needed, and take into consideration all that he had been through.
The conversation ended on a positive note and Jack felt he had accomplished his task. His objective for the meeting had been to turn Ron around or else take the necessary steps to get rid of him. Jack now felt that he could build a relationship with Ron and things would improve. They agreed to meet again in a month and parted with a handshake.
Ron entered his apartment and threw off his jacket and tie. Nestling in his sofa, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed. This will be easy, he thought, smiling to himself.
Discussion Questions
A Kid in a Candy Store
Once the hiring process is complete, new hires undergo an orientation and socialization process that often includes training in job-related practices and procedures, exposure to key corporate messages, and indoctrination into cultural values of the company. This is a time of excitement and happiness for most new employees, as the chance to learn and grow in a new job is very motivating. It is also an exciting time for the individual with a psychopathic personality, but for different reasons altogether.
The psychopaths’ simple one-to-one manipulative approach to life that governs many of their outside relationships is particularly effective in organizational settings (as seen in the case of Ron above). Several characteristics of business life facilitate the application of these techniques. There is an assumption that new employees who have made it through the hiring process are honest people with personal integrity. Honesty and integrity are a “given,” are rarely tested on any but the most superficial levels, and they color the perspective of coworkers who would never suspect that one of their own colleagues could have ulterior motives. This trusting environment may not rise to the level of that experienced in religious or other affinity groups, but certainly is sufficient for psychopathic manipulation to be successful in companies. As a result, the psychopath blends in well—a “good kid” like his or her peers.
Also, organizations actively seek out people who are able to get along with others and possess the traits that make them easy to get along with in return. Readers will easily recognize, based on their own work experience, that this makes good business sense, as agreeable people tend to be easier to work with in general; “getting along” makes work life a lot more enjoyable, and cooperation leads to greater productivity with minimal conflict. The psychological labels sometimes used for these personality traits include “need-affiliation,” “agreeableness,” and “socialization,” among others. Many organizations look for these during their selection process, but even if not done through formal assessments, there is usually an attempt to glean information about these and similar characteristics during the interviewing process. On the surface, however, people with psychopathic personalities can and do easily come across as friendly and agreeable—they get along with the other “kids” at work or play. It is only beneath the surface, well hidden from view, that darker tendencies lie.
Most people join organizations because they want to work and make a living, a work ethic having been ingrained in them from their earliest years. While “work” can take on many different forms, the basic concept involves exchanging goal-oriented efforts for money or reward; essentially, an exchange takes place between employee and employer that satisfies the needs of both. There may be misunderstandings or disagreements about amount of effort expended on any given day, how well the goals were accomplished, and the appropriate level of reward received, but the basic model is pretty much part and parcel of any employment relationship. Having a sense of entitlement and being parasitic, however, psychopaths do not adhere to this fair-exchange model of work, wanting instead large rewards for mediocre effort or poor performance. Their “work ethic” is geared more to making themselves look good than to doing a decent job. Of course, they conceal this attitude (and related lack of performance) from their employers.
The Psychopathic Fiction
While masking one’s true intentions may be easy in one-on-one social intercourse, it is a much harder task to establish and maintain the façade over the course of full-time employment, all the while interacting in close quarters with a large number of coworkers on a daily basis: There are just too many critical eyes around. So, once hired, how can psychopaths mask their self-centered, manipulative, and irresponsible traits? The answer lies in their ability to create what we call the psychopathic fiction, a story about themselves that fulfills the requirements and expectations of the company and its members. A company’s expectations are not too difficult to discover. Many openly share descriptions of ideal behaviors, and encourage adherence to these descriptions through performance objectives, mission statements, standards of performance, codes of conduct, value statements, and other such communications. Companies also publicly reward those who are good corporate citizens with bonuses, promotions, “employee of the month” awards, and similar forms of recognition.
In actuality, the task is quite simple, as astute psychopaths are capable of mimicking the traits and characteristics of good performers and high potentials without actually being one. In this sense, the persona they adopt is more a reflection of the demands of the situation (for example, the corporate culture) than an indication of who they really are. The chameleon may mimic a leaf but does not turn into one. The resemblance is strictly on the surface and designed (instinctually in the lizard, cognitively in psychopaths) to offer protection while “hunting” and scanning for chances to take advantage of the situation.
In the previous chapter, we suggested how easily those with many psychopathic features could enter organizations. Once employed, psychopaths revert to their natural three-phase behavior pattern—assessment, manipulation, and abandonment—to construct sometimes rather elaborate charades or psychopathic fictions that they ultimately weave into the organization’s perception of them. This not only assures their ultimate manipulation of the organization but also fulfills the psychopath’s needs for game-playing, thrill-seeking, and control; thus, it is doubly rewarding to someone so motivated.
We outline in the next sections how they create and maintain their fictional tale of the “ideal” employee and future leader.
Task 1: Assess the Organization and Its Members
Not surprisingly, the predatory manipulation used by psychopaths in public also applies to business settings. What may be surprising is how easily they can accomplish this. Corporate psychopaths use the early months of employment to study, understand, and ultimately penetrate organizational barriers by identifying key players, analyzing the personalities of potentially useful coworkers, and studying the interaction and communications patterns among them. They meet as many people as they can, spreading positive first impressions about themselves and collecting as much information about coworkers as possible. They quickly begin to understand and then integrate the culture of the organization into their outward style and approach, thus beginning to build a persona, a fiction that will be the basis for future manipulations.
Assess the Power Base
When considering how people influence each other to get things done in organizations it is always important to consider the role of power. When people’s value is based on where they fit into the organizational hierarchy it is referred to as position power, their technical abilities define their expert power, their access to information, knowledge power, and whether they control staff, money, and other assets, resource power. Another important type is informal power, which is the ability to influence what is going on without the official title to do so. Seasoned managers know who the informal leaders are in their organization, and will often engage them in their own efforts to manage the entire group. Almost instinctively, corporate psychopaths find these individuals and build strong relationships with them with the intent of using them to their advantage.
There are others with power and influence that are more formal. Individuals with position power are of significant interest to the psychopath, but getting close to those in power positions is not an easy task as they tend to be very busy, they may travel a lot, and they have many others surrounding them who also want their time and attention. An industrious psychopath manages these obstacles with ease, capitalizing on any opportunity, however contrived, to make contact and gain exposure.
The nature of organizational life actually facilitates the process of making contact with formal and informal leaders in the form of a typical “honeymoon period.” This period, which can last up to a few months, is a time when new employees must learn about their jobs and the organization, and receive considerable leeway to do so. Being on the early part of the learning curve insulates new employees from organizational criticism as they move about freely, learning the ins and outs of the organization’s culture. Relying on organizational naiveté during this period, a clever and motivated psychopath can approach individuals in power whom others with more seniority are too timid to approach or have learned to avoid, often for political or personal reasons.
Starting in the elevators and hallways, and landing eventually in their offices, psychopaths begin to introduce themselves to key managers and executives, brazenly disregarding the chain of command others respect. Recall Dave’s appearance, unbeknownst to Frank, in the CEO’s office—on day one! By the time the honeymoon period ends, they have established a strong, positive presence and identity in the minds of key players that will come in handy later on.
A talented corporate psychopath easily comes across to executives as an ambitious, enthusiastic player. To coworkers and peers, he comes across as a likable person, perhaps a bit narcissistic or manipulative, but friendly, open, and honest nonetheless. Whether one is an informal leader, a power holder, or a regular employee, it is quite refreshing to meet a charismatic new employee who expresses a desire to become an accepted member of the team or displays respect and admiration.
Psychopaths are not the only new employees who try to understand and make use of the sociopolitical structure of the company, of course; almost all new employees do. However, psychopaths do so with very little intent of actually delivering a work product to the company commensurate with the salary they receive. In addition, their emotional poverty does not support allegiance or loyalty to the company or their coworkers, although they can speak the necessary words to indicate intense loyalty to the firm. Their faked excitement might make them seem like a kid in a candy store.
Identify Pawns and Patrons
If psychopaths are the writers, directors, and stars in the psychopathic fiction, then it is important that those around them fill supportive roles. The first goal in creating the psychopathic fiction is to identify potential “Pawns,” or those individuals who have something the psychopath wants. There can be many pawns in an organization, all identified for the specific resources they can potentially provide, such as information, money, expertise, staffing, influence, contacts, and so forth.
Further down the road, when psychopaths need a resource, they will manipulate the pawns to get it or simply ask directly. Asking for favors of “friends” and never actually repaying is a surprisingly common technique used. Many pawns are so enamored by the psychopath’s persona that they give him or her whatever is needed, however inappropriate or outrageous the request, as can be seen in Joe’s approval of Ron’s bogus expense account and call report.
Psychopaths also cultivate support from a small group of high-level individuals with only limited dealings with the psychopathic subordinate, but who accept the persona they perceive and the reputation they only heard about in the grapevine. Despite the limited exposure, the psychopath orchestrates each interaction so well, and fosters such positive impressions, that these higher-level supporters begin to advocate for the subordinate. Believing him or her to be loyal, competent, and extremely successful, they begin to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative from their thinking.
This phenomenon was puzzling at first. Why would seemingly astute businesspeople take such a strong position in favor of a lower-level employee when they admittedly had only occasional interaction with him or her? We believe that the fictional “ideal employee and future leader” persona was so convincing that many members of the management team were readily charmed. Something out of the ordinary was going on here. For reasons only later to be uncovered, a group of high-level individuals began to act as “Patrons” of the psychopaths. Patrons are influential executives who take talented employees “under their wing” and help them progress through the organization. Once this patronage is established, it is difficult to overcome. With a patron on their side, psychopaths could do almost no wrong. Powerful organizational patrons (unwittingly) protect and defend psychopaths from the criticism of others. These individuals would eventually provide a strong voice in support of the psychopaths’ career advancement vis-à-vis promotions and inclusion on corporate succession plans.
Psychopaths eventually establish large networks of personal and, when possible, intimate relationships, all supporting the fictional persona of the ideal coworker and future leader. During this phase, the psychopath identifies the pieces on the playing board as pawns (those the psychopath will manipulate) and as patrons (those who will unwittingly protect the psychopath).
We note that all talented and well-motivated employees attempt to make positive impressions on those around them. Only a small proportion deceives and manipulates to such an extent that they compromise the integrity of the organization. At this point in the process, however, it is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to tell the difference between normal impression management and predatory deception.
Although we have labeled this a distinct phase, assessment is in fact an ongoing process, occurring whenever psychopaths meet someone new. Many modern organizations experience continual change among staff members and potential new relationships emerge. This provides psychopaths with the continual opportunity to assess the pawn/patron potential of new players as they join the company or take on new roles. This constant change (often frustrating to the rest of us) adds interest, challenge, and new opportunities for psychopaths to perpetrate their fiction—a motivating factor not unlike that experienced by con men and women when dealing with people in open society. We will say much more about this in the next chapter.
Task 2: Manipulate Management and Coworkers
The Manipulation phase forms the great bulk of the daily organizational existence of psychopaths; they manipulate others toward their own end. The ultimate goal of their game is to set up a scam within the organization’s structure that can fulfill their need for excitement, advancement, and power—all without concern about harmful outcomes to others. The fast-paced manipulation of coworkers (for example, Dorothy), executives (Frank and John), vendors, or customers satisfies the psychopath’s thrill-seeking and game-playing needs. Winning almost always involves financial and power rewards, such as a steady paycheck for work rarely completed, and promotions into increasing levels of authority. It can also include derailing the careers of coworkers up to and including their unjust termination.
Manipulate Hearts and Minds
Many psychopaths appear to be masters at understanding human psychology and at finding and exploiting the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of others. It is unclear whether this reflects an inherent talent or whether they simply work harder than the rest of us at searching for buttons to press. For example, Chuck was a very likable person with a stellar reputation as a solid citizen in the company; many described him as a straight arrow and a high-potential individual contributor. His integrity was unassailable and his work performance was above expectations; few challenged his decisions about his work (and sometimes that of others). Recognizing Chuck’s potential, Dan, a psychopath, went to great lengths to build a bond with him. Eventually, this bond grew to the point where Chuck felt a special kinship toward Dan; what Chuck lacked in extroversion and leadership potential, he saw in Dan. Dan was the person he wished he could be. In fact, several coworkers referred to Chuck as Dan’s “shadow” because they always seemed to hang out together. Others referred to him as Dan’s “soul mate,” a description we hear often in these cases. Chuck’s association with Dan and his descriptions of him to his coworkers lent a lot of credence to Dan’s persona as the competent, loyal, talented employee, much like Chuck.
On occasion, Chuck would explain away Dan’s temper as an expression of his artistic, creative bent. What others saw as rudeness and hostility, Chuck saw as Dan standing up for what he believed in. In addition to defending him to the others, what made Chuck particularly useful to Dan was the fact that Chuck was an acknowledged expert at his own job (as well as the jobs of many others). As it turned out, Chuck was the key to Dan’s success, working extra hours to help his “friend” do his job. No one realized that he was actually doing Dan’s work for him while Dan was out politicking and manipulating others.
When trying to understand and explain their successful manipulation in organizations, we first thought that the psychopaths were merely ingratiating themselves with those at the top of the organization while abusing peers and subordinates at the lower levels. This is often a tactic of poor managers. However, the more we studied these individuals, the less we could explain our observations by simple ingratiation techniques—most executives and coworkers were too smart to fall for this approach for very long. The relationships between our subjects and their supporters turned out to be more complex than this.
We found that, by using a variety of influence tactics, the psychopaths manipulated their network of one-on-one personal bonds to gather information they could use to advance their own careers, derail the careers of rivals, or enlist technical support when the company made demands on them (to actually do their jobs). Specifically, their game plans involved manipulating communication networks to enhance their own reputation, to disparage others, and to create conflicts and rivalries among organization members, thereby keeping them from sharing information that might uncover the deceit. They also spread disinformation in the interest of protecting their scam and furthering their own careers. Being exceedingly clever, they were able to cloak their association with the disinformation, leading others to believe that they were innocent of manipulation.
Furthermore, they used a veil of secrecy to reinforce the bonds they built with others. Telling someone a secret, even if you know that it will be shared with others, implies a level of trust that cannot help but raise expectations of friendship and respect. Chuck admired Dan and wanted to emulate his outgoing, assertive nature, but would never want others to know this. Being his friend allowed him intimate access to Dan’s behaviors and (apparently private) thoughts, and might, he reasoned, help some of these traits to rub off on him. Secretly helping Dan complete assignments was a small price to pay and not any different from sharing his homework with high school and fraternity brothers, years before. He also knew that Dan would never reveal his inner desires and would take care of him down the road, especially when Dan was selected to attend management seminars given by the company—a luxury Chuck could not experience. They were a natural fit, as Chuck never realized that he was de facto colluding with Dan.
Psychopaths identify and use informal leaders to support their quest for status and power. Consider Mary, a staff assistant for a major company. She was a delightful person, had a wealth of information about the organization, and as we learned from several others, was a major conduit of the office grapevine. Her cubicle was a regular stop for Doug on his daily rounds of the company. A simple “Hi, Mary! How was your weekend?” from Doug, followed by a leisurely discussion of life’s events, would often lead to his sharing “secret” information with Mary about critical organizational issues, key managers, and potential changes. Enthralled with this amount of trust and attention from someone higher up, Mary in turn kept Doug informed of the behind-the-scenes information she had obtained from others.
Understanding that in every organizational rumor there is a kernel of truth, Doug was adept at singling out potentially useful information and storing it in his memory for future use. Given the right opportunity, Doug would “trade up” these bits of information by approaching key individuals and hinting that he was aware of key organizational issues and decisions. Believing that Doug was on the inside track, they felt comfortable about revealing additional pieces of information, which Doug mentally cataloged for future use.
Meanwhile, Mary spread positive, glowing stories about Doug throughout the organization, testifying to his integrity, sincerity, and generosity. “He’s going places, I’ve heard, and I know,” she volunteered to anyone who would listen. She would then tell tales of how Doug was being given important projects to work on, how he helped others with their jobs without taking any credit for himself, how some senior executives confided in him because they trusted him, and how he was on the inside track of what was going to happen in the future. She relayed these and other messages throughout the organization long before Doug’s name made it to the corporate succession plan. Who was the original source of the stories? Doug, of course.
Although psychopaths manipulate coworkers into covering for them, some coworkers carry their workload in exchange for deep psychological satisfaction that is not readily apparent to observers. For example, all Chuck needed was a little attention and praise for his work, a need Dan managed to fulfill quite effectively. Mary needed a good source of reliable information, and Doug knew how to play her like a fiddle.
However, the strongest and perhaps most interesting challenges to the psychopath, no doubt, are individuals with strong personality traits such as narcissism, assertiveness, and dominance. These individuals are particularly important to psychopaths because they also tend to be in the higher levels of power in organizations.
Interestingly, those who believe they are smarter and more talented than others are the most surprised to learn that they have been psychologically manipulated. Narcissists tend to rise to management positions in organizations in disproportionately large numbers. Being particularly self-absorbed, they use (and sometimes abuse) their subordinates and play up to their superiors to assure their own personal career success. (See Chapter 3 for a detailed look at similarities and differences between narcissists and psychopaths.) We have spoken with a number of narcissistic managers who found themselves victimized by corporate psychopaths: it was not easy for them (executives, lawyers, physicians, politicians, or others) to admit that someone outclassed and outgunned them. Additionally, and this really plays into the hands of the psychopath, individuals with strong personalities, such as narcissists, are far less likely than most to seek assistance, guidance, or even personal feedback until it is too late, making them attractive long-term targets.
Low-Utility Observers: The Extras
Not everyone whom psychopaths meet interests them. Many coworkers and managers have little to offer in the way of influence, assets, or potential support. By virtue of being ignored, these individuals are in a good position to see what is really going on. One group, the Extras, worked with or near the psychopaths and noticed inconsistencies, lies, and distortions of the truth. They were able, on some level, to see behind the mask; the psychopathic fiction failed to take them in. Unfortunately, few brought their concerns to the “victims” or to management; they did not speak up. Reasons for this silence most often included “I’m minding my own business,” “No one would listen to me,” and “It’s not my place to intervene.” In rare cases, some expressed the attitude that “if management is dumb enough to fall for this, they deserve what they get.” Others stated that the individual was far too influential for them to cross; these observers preferred to stay out of the line of fire.
During confidential research interviews, we heard stories that helped us understand the psychopathic maneuvers that took place as members of the observer group volunteered numerous references to deceitful behaviors: “He’s a liar and a manipulator. It’s amazing he’s so successful, but then, maybe not, considering how business is these days” was the conclusion of some. They often identified psychopathic workers as the source of departmental conflicts, in many cases purposely setting people up in conflict with each other. “She tells some people one story, and then a totally different story to others. Sometimes she’ll tell one person that ‘so-and-so said this about you’ and then do the same thing with the other,” said one exasperated peer. “It’s so high school.”
As we suspected, many in this group initially liked their manipulative coworkers, but learned to distrust them over time. “He’s rude, selfish, unreliable, and irresponsible,” said one coworker, “but there was a time, when he first started, that I liked him a lot.” “I knew her stories were exaggerations,” offered another coworker, “in fact, many times outright false, but I never wanted—I think none of us wanted—to call her on her lies. For a time she was entertaining. I can’t laugh at her antics now; at best I think she’s a sad case.” After a pause, this coworker continued. “But that is giving her a lot more credit than she deserves—she’s a snake.”
Organizational Police: The Antagonists
Some individuals have policing roles in organizations, jobs designed to maintain order and control. They may work in security, auditing, and quality control, among other functions. They are necessary to the smooth running of any organization, but they pose a threat to corporate psychopaths, who try to avoid them as long as they can. Should someone in this role suspect that something is amiss, his or her job is to confront the person and/or expose the behavior to higher management. Many of these individuals have excellent critical thinking and investigative skills, with a special responsibility, typically fostered by professional and personal ethics and moral values.
Although they were few in number and rarely interacting on a daily basis with the psychopath, we found that these staff members were particularly astute when it came to their suspicions. “This guy is no good,” said the auditor who reviewed expense reports. “I don’t trust her; she’s too good to be true,” said the quality control supervisor. “Bad vibes,” said the security manager. “I’m going to watch him for a while.”
In corporate settings, people in these functions sometimes are called the “Organizational Police.” While many may cringe when referred to by that name, their role, much like their municipal police counterparts, is to protect the organization and its members. We believe that by being on the lookout for deceitful and possibly illegal behavior, such as lying, cheating, bullying, and stealing, these individuals have the ability to uncover psychopathic manipulation early on. Unfortunately, in at least some of the cases we reviewed, the organizational police were unable to effect much improvement. Beyond making known their observations, collecting information on violations of company policy, and raising issues about “questionable” interpersonal behavior, some could not influence management decisions regarding the well-established fraudster. Without top management support, organizational police are often unable to uncover and handle the corporate psychopath’s sub-criminal behavior.
Red Flag: Discrepant Views
The most striking thing about these and other cases was the mixed reactions of the corporate psychopath’s coworkers. In every case, we found a strong discrepancy in the perceptions between those who viewed their actions in a very positive, favorable light and those who saw them in a negative light. We wondered how a fictional persona could continue to function in an environment that included negative perceptions and doubt. Eventually, it became obvious that the psychopaths were effectively balancing the discrepant views of their coworkers, and relying on consistent charm, occasional intimidation, the basic trusting nature of people, and frequent organizational changes to maintain their psychopathic fiction in the eyes of those who mattered most. On one side, the supporters (labeled Pawns and Patrons) felt that they were valuable contributors to the success of the organization; that is, team players and solid corporate citizens. On the other hand, detractors (labeled Extras and Organizational Police) reported all manner of underhanded, deceitful, manipulative behaviors by the same individuals.
It is common for individuals to be liked by some and disliked by others. This is as true at work as it is at home or school. However, in an organization, there usually is a majority point of view based on a specific, identifiable organizational issue, such as a turf battle, and a minority view based on a personal issue such as envy. Normal political battling rarely surfaces in so clear and intense a form as it does with a psychopath. Clearly, the detractors despised these individuals, and the supporters almost worshipped them. It was as if employees were describing two entirely different people to us. In a great number of these situations, it seemed that the psychopath could switch from warm and friendly to cold, distant, and almost hostile depending on with whom they were interacting.
Task 3: Abandon the No-Longer Useful—The Patsies
Because psychopaths no longer need to maintain the façade for individuals whose utility is spent, they generally will abandon them. Spouses and children left without support and the elderly who have given up their life savings are common examples in society. Abandonment does not always lead to the realization that one has been used or conned. For example, blindness to this reality might reflect the perceptions of an investor who still believes in the good intentions of an exposed scammer, despite having lost his life savings.
In organizations, the psychopath eventually abandons the pawn, in both the social sense—the psychopath no longer associates with them—and the psychological sense—the friendship generated as part of the psychopathic bond turns cold. Nevertheless, because the psychopath is working in an organization and cannot run away from the scene of the crime, abandonment becomes starkly obvious to those affected, as well as to those around them. This dramatic shift from friendly coworker to cold, dispassionate stranger affects victims in predictable ways: they frequently question their own behavior first, blaming themselves for the changes they are now sensing in the psychopath. “What did I do?” is a common self-doubt. Although victims may not yet understand what has happened, they begin to see glimmers of the true psychopathic personality—a realization that we understand is “chilling.”
Eventually, pawns realize that they have been patsies all along. They feel cheated, defiled, and often incredulous that the person they liked and trusted betrayed that trust. Moreover, we found, it was not always over major things that the truth dawned on them. It was sometimes only a small incident that changed their perception enough so that the true nature of the “snake” in their midst became evident. However, embarrassment and shame often keep them from coming forward.
Organization members who were willing to discuss with us their interactions with their abusive, manipulating coworkers reported feeling abandoned when the latter moved their attention to others. They also reported experiencing the most common victim response: silence due to shame at being conned. Like so many other victims, they wanted to keep their shame secret. This response, of course, plays into the hands of the psychopath, protected by the tendency toward silence and secrecy. Interestingly, a few also felt disappointment when the psychopath in their company moved his or her attentions to others in the organization. They had lost something they valued—a close friend—when the psychopath stopped using them. We will say more about the impact of psychopathic manipulation on victims in Chapter 12.
Task 4: Confrontation
Over time, the constant need to manage the growing discrepancy in the views of them by a large number of fellow employees challenges the manipulation skills of psychopaths. We believe that a breakdown begins to occur when the psychopath’s web of deceit and manipulation becomes unwieldy and too many people have had glimpses of his dark side. Eventually, someone tries to do something about it. Former pawns might challenge or confront the psychopath and perhaps even try to bring the situation to the attention of higher-ups. Unfortunately, by this time the psychopath has positioned himself so well through the influence networks already established with the power hierarchy that he turns the tables on the complaining employees: their credibility is “managed” and their attempt to reveal the psychopath preempted.
This has an intimidating effect on bystanders in two ways. Those working with the defeated employee see the demoralizing effects up close and conclude it is not worth fighting the psychopath. Others may assume that the company has selected the psychopath for future leadership roles and can do no wrong, and is therefore immune to attack. They have come to believe that this person cannot be challenged and is protected by upper management. Some might conclude that the management team is not as astute as once thought, and rather than signal to upper management that there is a deceitful person on board, they adopt a wait-and-see attitude. The increase in cautious inaction among coworkers is another subtle but powerful effect that psychopathic behavior has on the organization’s culture. As the psychopath neutralizes rivals and detractors, he is free to continue operations unchallenged. By creating a niche safe from the attacks of rivals, the psychopath can maintain his or her operations for a lengthy amount of time.
Given the above scenario, one might predict that eventually the psychopaths would fail, that they would be uncovered, that they would offend the wrong person, and that the organization would remove them before they did great psychological and financial harm. This did not happen. Most of the ones we have studied over the years still enjoy successful careers in their original organizations. The few exceptions have left their companies for larger jobs in other companies—some of them competitors. Unfortunately, the companies reorganized many innocent victims out of their jobs, derailed their careers, or had them leave in disgust.
The natural manifestation of psychopathic manipulation—assessment, manipulation, and abandonment—is common among psychopaths in society. For the corporate psychopath we added an initial step to capture the process they use to gain entry into the organization, and now we will add a subsequent phase, which we label Ascension.
Task 5: Ascend
Corporate psychopaths are able to build careers that lead them to increasingly higher-level positions in the organization. This need not be the CEO’s job, of course, but one position that often is immediately attractive is the one occupied by their patron.
The Ascension can take place once the psychopath’s manipulation network has expanded to include the whole power structure of the organization and all key players are in his or her corner. Almost simultaneously, and seemingly overnight to the victim, the entire power structure shifts its support away from the patron and over to the psychopath, who moves up into the now deposed patron’s position. The once high-power and high-status patron, who protected the psychopath from doubts and accusations, and who facilitated fast promotions, advanced assignments, and job rotations, finds him or herself betrayed. Sadly, the patron becomes a patsy, losing organizational status and often his or her job to the psychopath.
Discussion Questions