"Do psychopaths make good CEOs?"
http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/10/26/wisdom-psychopaths-dutton/
This article reviews the book, "The Wisdom of Psychopaths" by Kevin Dutton
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(snip)
"Another researcher, Robert Hare, sent out a psychopathy checklist test called the PCL-R to over 200 executives in 2010 and compared the results to the overall population. "Not only did the business execs come out ahead, but psychopathy was associated with
charisma
creativity, good strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills," writes Dutton.
So what, exactly, gives psychopaths such talent, the ability to be cool as a cucumber, even when they are staring death straight in the eye? It comes down to brains, it seems. For most of us, when we are thrown into a stressful situation, whether it's a high-stakes exam, watching a scary movie, or fighting off an attacker, the parts of the brain that actively respond to pain, panic, and other emotions kick into high gear. For psychopaths, it's the opposite. They even calm down during these moments of heightened tension.
Essentially, Dutton argues, psychopaths naturally display the kind of emotional self-control that Tibetan monks and elite soldiers spend many years developing. In this respect they seem ideally suited for a cruel, uncertain, dangerous world." (snip)