Crazy and not in a good way.

Being a business person exposes you to lots of people.  Most are hardworking, attempting to make a living and support their families.  Others seem to muddle along in a lazy haze, and others are so cutthroat you would be nervous if you left children in their presence.  It just comes with the territory.  Still, it amazes me to this day how many mentally ill, damaged, and just plain mean people I have met in the course of my career.  Usually, they wind up as my managers or as a client.  These individuals take all the joy out of doing business.  In fits of despair, I cry to the heavens and ask why. 

Business Week gave me a little insight into this existential problem.   According to author Jon Ronson, many people who are business leaders fit the operational definition of psychopathy.  In fact, many corporate leaders score “alarmingly high.”  I suppose this is because many business leaders crave power and strive to be in charge; look at Ken Lay, Al Dunlap, and Carly Fiorina.  All of those individuals tended to view others as mere tools to be used, were concerned about their personal brand over what was best for their organization, and, when the stuff hit the fan, abdicated any personal responsibility for what happened.  I encountered similar behavior in the advertising and gift card business. 

For the last ten years, business schools have been railing against this behavior.  Two of my favorite books on the subject are Primal Leadership by Daniel Goelman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee and The No Asshole Rule by Robert I. Sutton.  Both books illustrate the damage to the bottom line jerks cause.  Still, when I go out in the business community, I see many people who exhibit this kind of deviant behavior and consider it an acceptable way to conduct business.  Again, I ask why. 

I return to the business week, and they say researcher David McClelland divided workers into three groups:  those who need power, those who need to achieve, and those who want to be liked.  The ones who excel at achievement and are liked wind up as customer service representatives, while those who crave power get the corner office.  In the Social Darwinism of the office, those who need power often get their fix at the expense of others.  More troubling is that when these individuals are held accountable for their actions by employees, they can be hired and fired.  This is creating a feedback loop of fear and repression at the office.  It stinks, and it explains why innovation takes place at startup companies that are purchased by more giant corporations. 

I know I will be forced to be a jerk occasionally, starting up my own business.  I will have to fire people for poor performance.  I will also have to make difficult decisions, but that does not mean I must become like Lay, Dunlap, or Fiorina.  Being an entrepreneur is a bit crazy, but I hope it is crazy in a good way rather than the psychopathic fashion that is all too common in business.