How common are corporate psychopaths in politics?

There is support in psychology for psychopathy as a dimensional continuum of personality. In this way, we can better understand that certain personality traits, as extreme manifestations, might be understood as clinical disorders, but in other cases, and in the absence of all the traits, may well be identified with organisational leadership qualities. This is core hypothesis of the Humm-Wadsworth model of seven core emotional drives. One of the great strengths of the Humm model is that it helps you recognise the Corporate Psychopath, who a person with a strong Hustler component and a weak Normal component. Hustlers divide the world into winners and losers, consider themselves winners and treat the "losers" as dirt. When this occasionally backfires, they concoct excuses. Hustlers listen to only one radio station WIIFM: What's In It For Me? They will sacrifice the long term (particularly that of other people) for the short term gain of themselves.

Normal are conservative, logical and unemotional in their approach and decision making. They are driven by the desire for order and their first question in life is who else is doing this? They carefully weigh the benefits and costs of any decision and this makes them excellent strategic decision makers. A core value to a high Normal is that the needs of the group or organisation come first.

When looking at leaders a strong Hustler is a useful trait. It makes them charming and flexible. Governing is often a compromise and requires diplomacy. Good Hustlers have the art of getting what they want from someone who doesn't want to give it to them, and having them thank you afterwards. You can think of a number of Politicians who have a lot of Hustler: Hawke, Keating, Clinton, and my favourite, Graham Richardson. But they all had a high degree of Normal.

Is Rudd a Corporate Psychopath?

In another recent article in The Australian (21 August 2013) Janet Albrechtsen suggested that Rudd may be a Corporate Psychopath. She ticked off various boxes:

• Superficial relationships of convenience
• Shameless shifts of "core beliefs"
• Glib and grandiose statements
• Says one thing but acts the opposite.
• Will undertake deception to achieve their aims

Since then a number of commentators have picked up on this theme and it is almost becoming a meme. The first person to publically call Rudd a psychopath was Labor MP Steve Gibbons in 2010. If actions speak louder than words then the deposing of Rudd as PM in 2010 and the number of Labor stalwarts who refuse to be in a cabinet with Rudd or leaving politics indicate a serious personality flaw.

What is very dangerous in a leader is if the Normal is low and the Hustler is high. Unfortunately during the 2013 campaign the evidence developed that this is Rudd's temperament. Each day we saw yet another grandiose gesture. The irony in the 2013 election is that Rudd defined the core issue as who do you trust? Him or Abbott?

People with psychopathic tendencies are common in business and politics, particularly at senior levels. Being commercially realistic, they are often seen as having the ability to make tough decisions, and they don't seem to experience stress. If they have a conscience and are ethically based they will generally be very successful. If not they will be initially successful, but then their weakness of trying to bend the rules brings them undone, particular in times of economic stress.