Psychopaths in the C-suite

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What is the main purpose of the speaker's presentation?

To raise awareness about the emotional impact of financial fraud

To provide a historical overview of notable white-collar crime cases

To discuss leadership characteristics in successful companies

To analyze the behavior of convicted white-collar criminals (correct)

What is the significance of the names mentioned by the speaker (Bernie, Martha, Rajat Gupta)?

They are examples of leaders who have been convicted of white-collar crimes (correct)

They represent successful entrepreneurs who overcame ethical challenges

They are notable figures in the field of business leadership

According to the passage, what is one of the consequences of the fraudulent behavior of the leaders mentioned?

They were able to maintain their positions of power within their companies

They were able to avoid conviction for their crimes

People even committed suicide because of their fraudulent behavior (correct)

What is the significance of the speaker asking the audience to "stop and think for a minute about someone that you might know in a leadership position"?

To prompt the audience to consider whether they know any leaders who fit the described characteristics (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the overall tone or perspective the speaker seems to be taking in this presentation?

Critical and condemnatory, expressing disapproval of the leaders' actions and their consequences (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the first thing virtuoso CEOs consider when making difficult business decisions?

How the decision will impact the people involved (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the author refer to as the "other first habit" of virtuoso CEOs?

Thinking about what's best for other people and the business (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which habit is described as the "I screwed up" habit?

Admitting to their own mistakes (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the author suggest is "very energizing to people" when a leader exhibits it?

Showing vulnerability by admitting mistakes (B) Signup and view all the answers

What strategy did virtuoso CEOs use to acquire and strengthen their moral habits?

Having one or more important mentors in their career (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the author, what should be part of the core curricula for next-generation leaders?

Character development and ethical decision-making (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the author hope executive search firms and recruiters will use to screen out manipulative individuals?

Tools that can accurately assess for character (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the author's third dream?

That business schools make character development the core curricula (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what did one CEO do early in his career that had a profound impact on the author?

Admitted to making a mistake that caused a crisis (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the author suggest is an effective way to strengthen one's moral character?

Find a mentor higher up on the character curve (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what was the most striking observation about 'Tom' when the narrator visited his office?

His office was filled with pictures of himself with important people. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What did Tom's employees reveal about him and his senior management team?

They would manipulate business outcomes if it benefited them personally. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What eventually happened to Tom and his leadership team after the crisis in 2008?

They were fired, and the company was broken up and sold to competitors. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does the passage characterize the 'low-character underperformers and the average CEOs'?

They prioritize personal gain and money over employee well-being. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the narrator's impression of the 'virtuoso CEOs' based on employee comments?

They are admirable leaders who inspire loyalty and respect from their employees. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator describe Jim Sinegal, the former CEO of Costco?

He fostered a culture of integrity, responsibility, and compassion. (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what was the narrator's experience when trying to find a disgruntled Costco employee?

The narrator was unable to find a single disgruntled employee. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the passage, what can be inferred about the impact of Jim Sinegal's leadership on Costco's culture?

He instilled a sense of loyalty and commitment among employees. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best summarizes the main point of the passage?

Leadership styles and ethical principles can significantly impact company culture and employee morale. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the narrator's opinion of the 'almost psychopaths' described in the passage?

The narrator views them as unethical and lacking in moral character. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to the research findings, what was the difference in return on assets between CEOs with high character scores and those with low character scores?

CEOs with high character scores had a 3 times higher return on assets (B) Signup and view all the answers

What did the research conclude about the relationship between CEO character and workforce engagement?

High-character CEOs created positive work environments with engaged employees (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best represents the concept of character, according to the research?

Character is a set of moral habits that can be developed (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the "empathy habit" mentioned in the research?

It is a core competency for virtuoso CEOs with high character (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to the research, which of the following statements about character habits is true?

Character habits are ingrained responses that occur automatically (D) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the research findings, which of the following statements is true?

High-character CEOs achieved better business results and workforce engagement (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the researchers' initial expectation regarding the difference in business results between high and low character CEOs?

They expected to find a significant difference, but not as large as three times (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the research, which of the following statements about character habits is false?

Character habits are consciously evaluated in every situation (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best represents the researchers' overall conclusion?

Character can be developed through strengthening moral habits, and it has a significant impact on business success (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the research, what is the significance of how one treats people in situations where there is no apparent personal gain?

It is a reliable indicator of one's character (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was the main claim made in the book 'Moral Intelligence' co-authored by the speaker?

High-character leaders will get better long-term business results than low-character leaders. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why did the speaker say they didn't have the data to support the claim in the book initially?

They received pushback claiming that character is not essential for business success. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What types of organizations did the speaker's research study include?

Fortune 100 companies, Fortune 500 companies, privately held firms, and non-profit organizations. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What were the two key results from the speaker's research that they were most excited about?

High-character leaders deliver better business results, and character can be taught. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How did the speaker define character in their research?

Character is something that leaders demonstrate through their integrity, responsibility, forgiveness, and compassion. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the process the speaker used to determine a CEO's character score in their research?

They asked random samples of employees to rate how well their CEO demonstrated the four principles of character. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What did the speaker say about the presence of psychopathic leaders in their research study?

They didn't encounter any psychopathic leaders in their study, as they tend not to participate in research on integrity. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What were the two business metrics the speaker's research focused on to measure the impact of character?

Return on assets and workforce engagement. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What did the speaker say about the amount of data they had collected for their research?

They had complete data sets on 79 CEOs, and almost 8,000 employee observations, giving them a high level of confidence in the data. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What did the speaker mean when they referred to a character curve in their research?

A visual representation of the range of character scores among the CEOs in their study. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the main purpose of the speaker's research study on the connection between character and business results?

To prove that high-character leaders are more successful than low-character leaders. (C) Signup and view all the answers