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Leadership / Well-being

How to Tell Your Boss is a Psychopath

June 24, 2022
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When you picture a psychopath it’s probably a character of a psychological thriller – a person you would probably avoid in real life.  But psychopaths are actually much more common than you’d think. You may see them on TV, in politics or even on a daily basis at work. These people love being covered with attention, are usually charismatic and seek leadership positions. If you find your boss in this description, how can you tell if they are a psychopath?  

Signs of a Psychopathic Boss  

You probably had your suspicions: meetings with your boss end up with deceiving promises and a bad aftertaste. They make unethical jokes and tend to close an eye to someone breaking rules. Something just feels off whenever you talk to them. Does this sound familiar? 

Psychological fact: Men are more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits than women. Yet women may be better at hiding their psychopathic side.

Let’s break down the psychology of a Psychopath:

Low empathy

People with high psychopathy traits lack empathy and emotional sensitivity. They struggle with feeling for and with others. For example, a psychopath co-worker or boss will find it difficult to understand when another colleague is feeling distress and show compassion towards them. However, empathy is the ultimate skill of effective leadership. Check out why in our article on leader empathy.

Lies to get ahead 

Does your boss lie to you or deceive your co-workers so that they come out clean? Psychopathic people tend to have their own moral code that might differ from the societal norm. For them, it might be totally fine to lie without blinking an eye as long as they get what they want. That usually happens when they want to avoid taking responsibility for their mistakes or seek to establish their superior position. 

Risk-takers

Psychopathic people can be fearless and exhibit risk-taking behaviours that may violate rules or even laws. Psychopathic bosses in particular are prone to making impulsive decisions, that sometimes are taken as a sign of courage and heroism. Moreover, since they are impulsive, and selfish, they tend to blame others if these decisions lead to failure. 

Use charisma for manipulation 

Psychopathic bosses thrive in attention from others. They attract this attention by exhibiting charisma. Lots of it. However, while charismatic people can seem like a breath of fresh air, beware: they can use their charms against you. Our article will tell you all about how charismatic people are a walking red flag and how to deal with it.  

Seeks dominance and power

People high in psychopathy love power and enjoy exerting dominance. That is why they will always go for the highest leadership positions. And they are likely to reach those leadership positions because they use their charisma and manipulation to create a positive impression, get support and be promoted to a managerial position.

How to deal with a Psychopathic Boss? 

Have just found out that your boss is a psychopath? First step: do not panic! As long as you know how to approach them, you’re good to go. Here are 3 ideas:  

1. Keep your cool!  

Since Psychopaths are really good at manipulating others, you would not want them to know how you are really feeling. So Keep. Your. Cool. Even if you might feel upset or frustrated, do not let them see that. Chances are they will try to manipulate your emotions and thus have more power over you.

2. Do not play their game

Even if your psychopathic boss does not have a moral code, that does not mean you should not uphold your integrity. Stay mentally strong and remain professional while keeping your healthy distance to them. Do not show intimidation or fear and stay focused on work-related matters. If they try to threaten you, keep your cool and report to HR if you feel like things are getting out of hand.

3. Know your worth 

Do not let your self-worth depend on your boss’s evaluation. Especially if that person is a psychopath. They will probably use their feedback as managers to manipulate you into doing what they want. So, if you feel that they are giving you unfairly negative feedback, it may be that this is their way to force you to comply with their BS. Keep your ground. Be open to communication but stay true to yourself.  

Get the support you always wanted

We know that sometimes, small actions of reflection like the ones we suggest in this article, quickly slip our mind and before we know it, we forget about them altogether. If you need an occasional reminder, follow us on our Instagram and Facebook page – we use it as an interactive way to help each other implement the advice we suggest in our blog posts. And we love to hear about your experiences and thoughts!

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This post is based on the following sources and academic articles:

Efferson, L. M., & Glenn, A. L. (2018). Examining gender differences in the correlates of psychopathy: A systematic review of emotional, cognitive, and morality-related constructs. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 41, 48–61. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2018.05.009

Clarke, J. (2005). Working with monsters: How to identify and protect yourself from the workplace psychopath. Random House.

Mathieu, C., Babiak, P., & Hare, R. D. (2021). Psychopathy in the workplace. In A. R. Felthous & H. Saß (Eds.), The Wiley international handbook on psychopathic disorders and the law: Diagnosis and treatment (pp. 607–644). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119159322.ch27

Photo by Sora Shimazaki