Are you working for a psychopath?
Ever work for a boss that you just did not like? Did they seem a little strange? Maybe they were a psychopath!

For each question, score two points for "yes," one point
for "somewhat" or "maybe," and zero points for "no".

[1] Is he glib and superficially charming?
Is he a likable personality and a terrific talker -- entertaining, persuasive, but maybe a bit
too smooth and slick? Can he pass himself off as a supposed expert in a business
meeting even though he really doesn't know much about the topic? Is he a flatterer?
Seductive, but insincere? Does he tell amusing but unlikely anecdotes celebrating his own
past? Can he persuade his colleagues to support a certain position this week -- and then
argue with equal conviction and persuasiveness for the opposite position next week? If
he's a CEO, can he appear on TV and somehow get away without answering the
interviewer's direct questions or saying anything truly substantive?
SCORE__

[2] Does he have a grandiose sense of self-worth?
Does he brag? Is he arrogant? Superior? Domineering? Does he feel he's above the rules
that apply to "little people"? Does he act as though everything revolves around him? Does
he downplay his legal, financial, or personal problems, say they're just temporary, or
blame them on others?
SCORE__

[3] Is he a pathological liar?
Has he reinvented his own past in a more positive light -- for example, claiming that he
rose from a tough, poor background even though he really grew up middle class? Does he
lie habitually even though he can easily be found out? When he's exposed, does he still
act unconcerned because he thinks he can weasel out of it? Does he enjoy lying? Is he
proud of his knack for deceit? Is it hard to tell whether he knows he's a liar or whether he
deceives himself and believes his own bull?
SCORE__

[4] Is he a con artist or master manipulator?
Does he use his skill at lying to cheat or manipulate other people in his quest for money,
power, status, and sex? Does he "use" people brilliantly? Does he engage in dishonest
schemes such as cooking the books?
SCORE__

5] When he harms other people, does he feel a lack of remorse or guilt?
Is he concerned about himself rather than the wreckage he inflicts on others or society at
large? Does he say he feels bad but act as though he really doesn't? Even if he has been
convicted of a white-collar crime, such as securities fraud, does he not accept blame for
what he did, even after getting out of prison? Does he blame others for the trouble he
causes?
SCORE__

[6] Does he have a shallow affect?
Is he cold and detached, even when someone near him dies, suffers, or falls seriously ill --
for example, does he visit the hospital or attend the funeral? Does he make brief, dramatic
displays of emotion that are nothing more than putting on a theatrical mask and
playacting for effect? Does he claim to be your friend but rarely or never ask about the
details of your life or your emotional state? Is he one of those tough-guy executives who
brag about how emotions are for whiners and losers?
SCORE__

[7] Is he callous and lacking in empathy?
Does he not give a damn about the feelings or well-being of other people? Is he
profoundly selfish? Does he cruelly mock others? Is he emotionally or verbally abusive
toward employees, "friends," and family members? Can he fire employees without
concern for how they'll get by without the job? Can he profit from embezzlement or stock
fraud without concern for the harm he's doing to shareholders or pensioners who need
their savings to pay for their retirements?
SCORE__

[8] Does he fail to accept responsibility for his own actions?
Does he always cook up some excuse? Does he blame others for what he's done? If he's
under investigation or on trial for a corporate crime, like deceitful accounting or stock
fraud, does he refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing even when the hard evidence is
stacked against him?
SCORE__
Total____

If your boss scores: 1-4 | Be frustrated, 5-7 | Be cautious, 8-12 | Be afraid, 13-16 | Be very
afraid

test is derived from: Board and Fritzon (2005) Disordered personalities at work, Psychology, Crime and Law and
Snakes in Suits (2007) Paul Babiak and Robert Hare