Hacker News Reader

Comment by CSMastermind | Hacker News Reader

Have you found that to be the case?

I'd say that generally speaking I have not. I've made it to a point in my career where I interact with the top management at Fortune 100 companies and I have not at all found them to be psychopathic or power-hungry. Actually generally the opposite: those traits seem to be selected against.

There are of course counter examples but I'd argue they're rare.

I'd say that you'll find the psychopaths and power-hungry individuals in the middle layer of companies with the "do nothing" bureaucrats at the bottom of the management hierarchy, often without any formal people management titles at all.

View on HN

I echo your statement and to take it a step further:

In corporate politics there is only one thing that 'wins' and that is profitability. That profitability comes from the workforce so the top leaders are usually very motivated, democratic people because the best ideas win and you need people on your side.

Thinking about the public sector, there is no KPI for a 'win'. When we try to start using statistics it becomes 'political', skewered, or hand waved away as a complex marcoeconomic force.

I believe studies have shown that people will routinely make bad decisions from the point-of-view of business, even when it's clear to them that that's the case, because of their other biases which are too powerful to resist, specially things like racism or similar forms of prejudice (e.g. someone who is from the same social level and geographical region as the boss gets promoted over a demonstrably better candidate who comes from a less favored region of the same country... sexism also seems to apply in many countries, including the USA).

I have. It's near impossible to get to the top without a hunger for power, which, I agree, starts when these people are in middle management - so not as much in founder-led companies (although not uncommon there either).

Scheming, lying and political maneuvering at the expense of your peers is how you become the fake-friendly "Bob" or "Mike" calling the shots at the top. Non-founders who raise through the ranks largely depend on these traits. Feelings and empathy are selected away as they lead you to be passed over in promotions.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com