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The Fifth Column
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in the workplace. Most questions have to do with handling a “psychopathic”
boss, but we have also heard about psychopathic peers,
subordinates, and coworkers. Without a lot more information than
we typically receive, it is impossible to determine whether the individual
described is psychopathic. Recall that psychopathy refers to a potent
mix of personality traits and behavioral patterns (see chapter 2),
and that a proper assessment is made only by qualified professionals.
We therefore strongly advise readers to be very careful about their use
of the term, particularly in discussions with others. However, if you
are working for or with an individual who appears to have psychopathic
features, we offer some suggestions in this chapter.
It is important to understand that psychopaths derail your career
by attacking the two most important aspects of your reputation:
your competence and your loyalty. Competence is how well you do
your job or the tasks assigned to you. It is the basic reason you have
a job in the first place. While your ability to perform a task suits their
purpose (that is, you are considered a pawn or patron in support of
their psychopathic fiction), psychopaths will continue to charm and
groom you to support them. They may use unorthodox tactics (as
they tend not to have good leadership skills), but you have value
to them (albeit temporary), so your competence does not pose a direct
threat.
Loyalty is an intangible trait that is often measured in terms of
how supportive you are of the company and, conversely, how supportive
the company is of its employees. Companies begin to build
loyalty during recruitment and orientation by describing the successes
the company has achieved and the opportunities afforded
those who wish to build a career with the company. The company
maintains loyalty by increasing feelings of company pride (such as
when the company celebrates a major success in the marketplace);
feelings of personal belongingness (through things like team achievement
awards and company picnics); opportunities for personal and
professional growth (such as through company-sponsored training
programs and challenging assignments); or career advancement (as in