For those of you who are seeking to make change while still stuck working inside the corporate world, all the power to you. As a reformed 9 to 5′er myself I understand the intense challenges that come from trying to get through the thick morass of politics and cynicism that constitute most corporate gigs.
If you happen to work in a company without such a dark, seamy underbelly — congratulations! For those of you who aren’t so lucky, I wanted to offer the following list of provocative questions that I just ran across. They will help you determine if your boss, or CEO is, in fact a sociopath. If many of these questions ring true, my advice to you would be to do what I did in my last 9 to 5 job — start telling the truth until your boss freaks out and fires you, then collect unemployment.
- Do you often feel used by the person?
- Have you often felt that he (or she) doesn’t care about you?
- Does he lie and deceive you?
- Does he tend to make contradictory statements?
- Does he tend to take from you and not give back much?
- Does he often appeal to pity? Does he seem to try to make you feel sorry for him?
- Does he try to make you feel guilty?
- Do you sometimes feel he is taking advantage of your good nature?
- Does he seem easily bored and need constant stimulation?
- Does he use a lot of flattery? Does he interact with you in a way that makes you feel flattered even if he says nothing overtly complimentary?
- Does he make you feel worried? Does he do it obviously or more cleverly and sneakily?
- Does he give you the impression you owe him?
- Does he chronically fail to take responsibility for harming others? Does he blame everyone and everything but himself?
