I saw a report that a larger than average proportion top people in business are technically psychopaths; I dont mean that they go around with an axe murdering people, but that their empathy is low and much of their social interaction is studied/learned.
They certainly know what drives other people to do great work, and to work hard for them and give up their lives in the persuit of the goal, but they dont really care. So when its time to axe a 1,000 'headcount' (see they do weild some kinds of axes) they dont lose a wink of sleep over it.
I cant source the study for this, but I probably read it on the internet, so it must be true ;)
Cheers from a recovering corporate psychopath. LOL! (I totally agree. Hard as nails gets you through the layoffs. Desensitizing yourself is a survival tactic...ahem, a necessary-business-tactic.)
Yeah I've been there; thought I could leave my morals at the door in the morning, and pick them up on the way out, but it turns out I was fooling myself.
That makes sense to me.....on another level I also kid that sociopaths make the best investors and traders.