Dark Triad Traits

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton

The Dark Triad Traits - Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy - represent a fascinating yet disturbing psychological trifecta that often show up around power, shaping leaders in ways that destroy workplaces and societies.

Understanding these traits is crucial - they reveal the darker sides of human nature and leadership, and help guide us in making informed decisions, supporting leaders that value integrity, empathy, and the greater good over personal gains.

Narcissism:

Key Insights

• Trait Characteristics: Inflated sense of self-importance and a deep need for admiration.
• Leadership Impact: Prioritize personal vision and recognition at the expense of collective achievements and team success.
• Work Challenges: Sensitivity to criticism, creating a workplace where open dialogue and feedback are discouraged, which can stifle innovation and open communication.

Beyond Work

• Relationship Dynamics: Struggles in maintaining deep, meaningful relationships due to a self-centered focus and lack of empathy.
• Social Perception: Initial charm may wear off, revealing underlying arrogance and detachment, affecting long-term social connections.
• Personal Growth: Resistance to constructive criticism impact self-improvement, creating superficial successes and personal dissatisfaction.

Machiavellianism:

Key Insights

• Trait Characteristics: Strategic manipulation, exploitation, and disregard for morality.
• Leadership Impact: Skilled in manipulating situations and people, often prioritizing personal gain over ethical considerations.
• Work Challenges: Creates team trust issues, leading to a culture of skepticism and undermining collective morale and integrity.

Beyond Work

• Relationship Dynamics: Manipulative nature significantly impacts the ability to form genuine, trusting relationships.
• Social Perception: Disregard for morality lead to ethical conflicts and unlawful behaviors, affecting personal and societal integrity.
• Personal Growth: Focus on manipulation over authentic engagement can alienate individuals from meaningful community or social involvement.

Psychopathy:

Key Insights

• Trait Characteristics: Persistent antisocial behavior, lack of empathy, and bold egotistical traits.
• Leadership Impact: Reckless or unethical decision-making, prioritizing short-term gains over long-term stability.
• Work Challenges: Disregard for rules and norms lead to a toxic work environment and potential legal and damaging of reputation.

Beyond Work

• Relationship Dynamics: Inability to form emotional bonds, leading to superficial relationships and loneliness.
• Social Perception: Initial attraction due to boldness fades in light of failure to adapt to social norms, leading to isolation.
• Personal Growth: Impulsive and thrill-seeking behavior result in harmful consequences, affecting both the individual and those around them.

The Impact in Business and Life

Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy destroy work cultures, stifle innovation, and compromise ethical standards. Recognizing these traits in leadership is essential not only for the health of our workplaces, but for society as a whole.

Why This Matters

Understanding the Dark Triad Traits helps us navigate the complex dynamics of human behavior in leadership and in life. It’s about making informed choices in who we follow, work with, and are inspired by, supporting leadership built on empathy, integrity, and inclusivity.

My Journey

Throughout my journey, I have worked with and come across many people in power that have shown these Dark Triad Traits. I strongly believe they are toxic for a healthy work environment, personal well-being and overall life experiences.

My recent journey into this trifecta of darkness began with an interesting YouTube video from Big Think, featuring Brian Klaas discussing "The world's biggest problem: Powerful psychopaths." This video led me down a rabbit hole, from the video to Klaas's book "Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us" to his "Power Corrupts" podcast. Each source added layers of understanding and how these traits show up in leaders and the impact they have in workplaces and societies. I highly recommend all 3 sources to get a better understanding of the Dark Triad Traits. Check them out below ??.

Brian Klaas - 3 Sources around Dark Triad Traits

Brian’s 4 Main Arguments around Power:

• Worse people get power. Corruptible people seek power.
• Power makes people worse. Power corrupts.
• We are drawn to the wrong kinds of leaders, for all the wrong reasons.
• We can design systems to make better people end up in power, and rather than abusing that power, use it for public service.

The world’s biggest problem Powerful psychopaths Brian Klaas (~2 hours)

?? "Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us" by Brian Klaas (9 hours 6 minutes)

Audible Summary

An “absorbing, provocative, and far-reaching” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) look at what power is, who gets it, and what happens when they do, based on over 500 interviews with those who (temporarily, at least) have had the upper hand - from the creator of the Power Corrupts podcast and Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas.

Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are tyrants made or born? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the result of poorly designed systems or are they just bad people? If you were suddenly thrust into a position of power, would you be able to resist the temptation to line your pockets or seek revenge against your enemies?

To answer these questions, Corruptible draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world’s top leaders - from the noblest to the dirtiest - including presidents and philanthropists as well as rebels, cultists, and dictators. Some of the fascinating insights include: how facial appearance determines who we pick as leaders, why narcissists make more money, why some people don’t want power at all and others are drawn to it out of a psychopathic impulse, and why being the “beta” (second in command) may actually be the optimal place for health and well-being.?

Corruptible also features a wealth of counterintuitive examples from history and social science: You’ll meet the worst bioterrorist in American history, hit the slopes with a ski instructor who once ruled Iraq, and learn why the inability of chimpanzees to play baseball is central to the development of human hierarchies.

Based on deep, unprecedented research from around the world, and filled with “unexpected insights…the most important lesson of Corruptible is that when psychopaths inadvertently reveal their true selves, the institutions that they plague must take action that is swift, brutal, and merciless” (Business Insider).

??PODCAST: "Power Corrupts" with Brian Klaas (47 episodes, each ~50 minutes)

Audible Summary

Does power corrupt? Absolutely. This is the podcast about the hidden—and often nefarious—forces that shape our world. Election rigging. Smuggling. Narcopolitics. Ransom. Conspiracy Theories. North Korean bank heists. Cults. Drug Lords. Voodoo. Money laundering. Assassinations. Unhinged conspiracy theories. Unbelievable stories. Stitched together with the help of world-leading experts. Created and narrated by Dr. Brian Klaas, a political scientist and columnist for The Washington Post.

Conclusion: Navigating the Shadows

Understanding the Dark Triad Traits is not about looking down on power or leadership, it's about creating a deeper awareness of the psychological dynamics that can influence decision-making and ethics in positions of authority, which is all around us, all the time. It's important. Really important.

By recognizing these traits and understanding them, we navigate the moral complexities of leadership, advocating for integrity over manipulation, empathy over judgement, and ethical leadership over corruptible power.

Purpose Behind This Newsletter:

For Me: To document life lessons for future reflection.

For Maya: Wisdom for my daughter to draw upon in the future.

For Growth: To improve my thinking, communication, and creativity through the practice of writing and connecting my favorite quotes, life lessons, and books.

For You: Perspectives that might resonate with your life and leadership journey.

Frequency of Posts:

LinkedIn has you pick the frequency of posts when creating a newsletter. However, I’ll be posting when I feel like it. This is a passion project with no time constraints or pressure.

To everyone who has subscribed and/or taken the time to read my articles, thank you. I appreciate it.

Hitesh Patel

#DarkTriadTraits #Narcissism #Machiavellianism #Psychopathy