Slate News Slate Money - Money Talks: Psychopathy and Success
11 snips
Apr 14, 2026 
Leanne ten Brinke, associate professor of psychology at UBC and author of Poisonous People, studies deception, dominance, and dark personality traits. She discusses research on psychopathy in business and leadership. Short segments cover how to spot manipulative behaviors, why dark traits can mimic confident leadership, hiring signals that attract them, and strategies and rules for managing toxic coworkers.
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Dark Traits Drive Dominance Not Respect
- People with dark personality traits seek dominance and prefer power that makes others feel small rather than earned respect.
- In organizations they often become bullying bosses, driving high stress and employee turnover.
Dark Tetrad Explains Overlapping Harmful Traits
- The dark tetrad groups psychopathy with Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism, sharing manipulation and callousness.
- These traits overlap but add unique flavors like grandiosity in narcissism and pleasure at others' pain in sadism.
Strong Leadership Signals Can Mask Harmful Traits
- Traits that look like strong leadership (confidence, ruthlessness) can be mistaken for competence but later prove counterproductive.
- In crises people prefer dominant figures, which can elevate those who manipulate rather than genuinely lead.
