How to know if your boss is a psychopath (and survive it)

Competition in the world of work and ambitions create monsters, many of them embodied in our superiors. Your boss is probably one of them and you haven't realized it. But how do you know if your boss is a psychopath?

To begin with, you should know that psychopathic personalities are not the ones we have in mind and associate with Hollywood cinema, so no one has to get hurt.

What is really a psychopath?

The reality is that we live surrounded by more psychopaths than we imagine and they are obviously not the bloodthirsty criminals they usually portray in movies.

People with psychopathic traits in the workplace they are usually those who try to achieve what they set out to do regardless of how they achieve it. Their ambitions take them far, but at the cost of unethical methods and without showing an iota of regret.

How do you know if your boss is a psychopath?

To find out if you work with someone like that, take a look at this list of traits that give them away.

1. Lie

Anyone can end up lying at some point or another, but one way to tell if your boss is a psychopath is that he will not hesitate to lie and cheat systematically in order to achieve his objectives.

In the workplace this translates into constant contradictions with employees or in falsifying data when it may be convenient for you. Either to give an image that does not correspond to reality or to hide an issue, he will try to invent a story that leaves him in a better position.

2. Manipulate to achieve goals

Another red flag to know if your boss is a psychopath is his tendency to emotional manipulation and control of people. He will misrepresent conversations for his own benefit whenever he is in a position to do so.

It is also very likely that you will try to seek the compassion of others when it suits you, trying to give pity to take advantage of the situation and trying to win the sympathy of others. Nothing could be further from the truth. Psychopaths are strong and confident people who will only seek to play with the emotions of others.

• Related article: "Manipulative people: how to recognize them in 7 traits"

3. Control obsession

While it is true that higher positions require some control over their employees, an excess of this can indicate that you are facing a psychopathic personality. The rigidity in the control of the breaks, establishing superfluous rules or making unnecessary changes in the workspaces are some of the signs of this taste for control.

In the same way, he will also have the need to demonstrate his power over people through this control, so It will not be uncommon for you to send your workers to do tasks that a priori are not necessary just for the fact of being able to do it.

4. Lacks empathy

If your boss is a psychopath, of course he will lack empathy and will not know how to put himself in the shoes of his workers. These types of people have no problem in passing over others because they are not able to empathize with other people.

For this reason, you will not have any problem in taking actions that others may object to and will be cold before sensitive situations. These types of superiors are the ones who have no qualms about firing someone, and can even do it for pleasure.

5. Intimidation is your greatest weapon

These types of bosses are hostile most of the time. and his attitude is rather aggressive. It is possible that they even raise their voices in some situations, screaming, or that their anger becomes excessive for the situation.

The intimidation of workers will be your greatest weapon to exert control over them. They will also not hesitate to humiliate or degrade them, especially if they do it in front of other people.

6. As charismatic as they are narcissistic

Psychopathic bosses will always try to make a very good impression… And they will. One of their most characteristic features will be the charisma they give off, which they will use to gain the trust of others. They will show themselves as strong, self-confident and charming people, and they will not hesitate to use this image to make themselves stronger.

And all this charisma will hide behind a narcissistic person, who will not hesitate to use his charms for his own benefit. As much as they try to be interested in what you do, these people will only move out of their own interest and with some objective in mind.

• Related article: "Envious people: the 9 traits that define them"

7. Power above all

If your boss is a psychopath, your thirst for power will prevail above all. That is most likely the reason why they are in a higher position than you in the first place.

The taste for manipulation and control that these types of people have, added to their charms, takes them to the top of the hierarchy. So it is not surprising that they are in positions where they can freely exert their influence.