I attended a public interview with business journalist James B. Stewart last week in which he discussed his book, Tangled Web. Stewart, perhaps best known for his 1992 book Den of Thieves, scrutinizes the fall of Martha Stewart, Barry Bonds, Scooter Libby, and Bernie Madoff in his latest work. His purpose is to shine a light on the broad societal damage done when high achievers tell great big lies—and what we can do as a society to avoid these types of individuals. Stories like these have caused many to lament the “tragic flaw,” a literary concept we all learned in high school English. But understanding a brilliant literary device doesn’t help most employers in our all-too-common dilemma.  We need people who are as competent at following society’s rules as they are at getting results. And because personality is a collection of tendencies that can be positive or negative depending on the situation, we’re often faced with compromise. We’re willing to accept some extreme behavior that comes with a highly motivated, talented, or energetic person we’ve recruited. For example, we might tolerate the blunt interpersonal style of the leader who comes in to save a troubled company. But as the crisis passes, and his or her style doesn’t change, the directness is experienced as self-centeredness and is perceived as a liability. Even more tempting is the highly charming, successful salesperson who’s applying for a leadership position. What is his or her ability to exercise self-restraint in ambiguous management situations? Or the … Continue reading →