Spotting Red Flags in the C-Suite ?? ?? ??

Last week, I came across a fascinating Forbes article that posed a bold and thought-provoking question: Can your board identify C-suite candidates with psychopathic tendencies? It wasn’t just a rhetorical exercise - it was a challenge to the way we think about leadership recruitment.

Before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the boardroom. Words like “psychopath” can conjure sensational images, but in the psychological sense, they describe tendencies - not diagnoses. Traits associated with the Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) are more common in leadership than we might like to admit. They can sometimes help individuals climb the corporate ladder, but left unchecked, they can wreak havoc on organisations.

The Forbes article offered practical advice on spotting these tendencies, especially in external candidates. As someone who spends their days evaluating senior leaders, it hit close to home.

The CEO Conundrum

The most polished CVs and charismatic interviews often belong to candidates adept at masking their flaws. They know how to dazzle, but leadership is more than charm and ambition - it’s about integrity, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Unfortunately, the traits that make a leader manipulative often make them masters of first impressions.

The challenge is even greater for boards when hiring external candidates. Internal succession allows years of observation, offering insights into an individual’s character that a CV never could. But with external candidates, the window is narrower, and the stakes are higher.

This is where the advice in Forbes becomes critical: boards need to scrutinise every claim, seek honest feedback from former subordinates, and observe candidates in diverse settings. It’s not just about asking questions - it’s about asking the right questions.

Beyond the Mask

One of the key points in the article was the importance of structured, evidence-based evaluation. In our own work, we use tools like PROPHET Profiling (registered by the British Psychological Society) to supplement these processes. Tools like these offer a holistic view of candidates - not just their technical capabilities but their decision-making styles, interpersonal behaviours, and resilience. It’s not a silver bullet, but it helps us go beyond the “mask of sanity” to see the person behind the professional persona.

The Human Stakes of Leadership

Ultimately, this isn’t just about avoiding disastrous hires; it’s about understanding the profound influence leaders have on organisations and their people. The wrong choice can erode trust, destroy cultures, and derail even the most promising strategies. The right leader, on the other hand, can galvanise a workforce, steer through crises, and build a legacy of success.

Reading the Forbes piece reminded me that our work as recruiters is about more than filling roles. It’s about shaping the future of organisations by championing leaders who bring out the best in others.

What are your thoughts? Have you experienced leadership that “looked great on paper” but didn’t deliver in practice? How can we improve the way we evaluate and select leaders for the highest levels of responsibility?