Thekabarnews.com—A new study has set the business world abuzz. It finds that a significant percentage of corporate executives may have psychotic tendencies.

Research led by Bond University’s Nathan Brooks found about 21 percent of corporate professionals had clinically significant levels of psychotic traits. Moreover, the study comprised 261 persons working in corporate organizations like supply chain management.

The research defines psychopathy as possessing characteristics such as lack of empathy, superficial charm, and insincerity. People often view these traits negatively. Nevertheless, sometimes they overlap with traits that organizations reward, such as confidence and decisiveness.

Researchers Katarina Fritzon of Bond University and Simon Croom of the University of San Diego and Mr. Brooks presented the findings at the Australian Psychological Society Congress in Melbourne. He said the number of people with psychotic tendencies in the workplace was similar to that in prison populations.

By comparison, the general population has an estimated prevalence of psychopathy of around 1 percent. Some studies have suggested that it may be as high as 4 percent. The much larger share in the corporate setting has raised questions about recruitment practices and leadership selection.

Companies’ systems for hiring people often put a premium on performance, assertiveness, and short-term results to promote people with those traits. Sometimes by accident, little attention is paid to personality tests and ethics, Brooks said.

“The recruitment and promotion of talent in organizations may allow some people with problematic characteristics to rise to senior ranks,” he said.

These people, sometimes called “successful emotionally detached leaders,” are charismatic and risk takers. Additionally, experts say they may move up the career ladder quickly.

However, these traits can also lead to unethical behavior or poor long-term decisions. For example, manipulating colleagues or making impulsive financial choices may jeopardize the organization’s stability.

Scott Lilienfeld from Atlanta’s Emory University noted that some professions, such as business, politics, and high-risk sports, tend to overrepresent psychotic traits. But he pointed out that research in this area is still growing.

“Psychotic traits can help you succeed in the short term because people can be very charming and persuasive, but these traits also have long-term risks,” Lilienfeld remarked

The research has sparked calls for organizations to reconsider their hiring and leadership evaluation processes. Psychological evaluations and ethical screening should also be part of a more balanced approach to talent selection.

The findings show that companies need to align leadership qualities with long-term values as their business environments become more complex. In addition, they should not just rely on performance metrics.

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