With the recent resignation of a very successful HP CEO, Mike Hurd on charges of fudging expenses one wonders how can accomplished people like him be so dumb . A nice post on tries to explain what happens to people in power and and possibly a solution.
A few excerpts
"Psychologists refer to this as the paradox of power. The very traits that helped leaders accumulate control in the first place all but disappear once they rise to power. Instead of being polite, honest and outgoing, they become impulsive, reckless and rude. In some cases, these new habits can help a leader be more decisive and single-minded, or more likely to make choices that will be profitable regardless of their popularity."
"Frans de Waal, a primatologist at Emory University, has observed that the size and strength of male chimps is an extremely poor predictor of which animals will dominate the troop. Instead, the ability to forge social connections and engage in "diplomacy" is often much more important."
"one of the main problems with authority is that it makes us less sympathetic to the concerns and emotions of others."
"Mr. Galinsky argues that this effect is triggered by the myopia of power, which makes it much harder to imagine the world from the perspective of someone else. "
"There is no easy cure for the paradox of power. Mr. Keltner argues that the best treatment is transparency, and that the worst abuses of power can be prevented when people know they're being monitored"
"Perhaps the corner office could use a few more windows."
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