Max McKeown 23 Apr 2007
Psychopaths & Sycophants
Far too many organisations are stuffed with sycophants prepared to overlook anything shady, illegal, or unethical as long as they are getting to hang around and share some power. Even if that means pandering to a corporate psychopath.
Leaders need followers, right? It doesn’t follow that anyone who doesn’t lead is a follower but what if a subset of leaders are psychopathic – or at least antisocial and unburdened by conscience – while a subset of followers are sycophantic – those who are willing to please leaders in exchange for power and privilege, or even the promise or proximity of power and privilege?
What if the two groups are symbiotic? You need those who forgo the respect of self and peers to achieve privilege to be willing to carry out the desires of those psychopaths who have power and no, or little, conscience.
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