Why do I feel like you need to be a sociopath to succeed?

The fact about reality is that there are lots of games, and if you choose a game which is zero-sum or even negative-sum, it's easy to say "This is just how the universe works." But nevertheless, that may only be true locally. If you go somewhere else, you may find that there is a game which is positive-sum.

It may not be a big game, it may not be the most popular or prevalent game, but what do you care? Each of us only needs to find one thing that works for us.

If you like zero-sum games, great, play them. But it's a choice, it's not forced upon us by the universe.

I think it’a a trait that’s actually needed. Genuily nice + smart + perseverance will get you far.

You also have to be incredibly outcome-oriented. You need to prioritize a range of objectives against a mountain of constraints. Sometimes that means deprioritizing parts of a product or company mission to further the longterm success of the business, using the information you have. If they didn’t, then they wouldn’t be doing their job. Sometimes that also means deprioritizing people. This is why every leader will always be able to be portrayed as a sociopath.

The actual sociopaths are one or two levels beneath - those that are jockeying for good standing by pushing themselves up and others down. They rarely make it to the top and if they do, aren’t there for long.

In my experience, those who do not see this tend to hold different levels of either empathy or outcome-orientation.

Collaboratively Efficient Operators?

Treat contempt with disdain and help people learn to work together

Speak the truth you know and others accept. Use your intelligence to learn the wit of many. Let agreement build on argued decisions.

Don't rush

Read loads of Philosophy, we have loads of it and it's very common

Bowing to people is a good technique if sincere. Respect is a great way to begin a conversation

Delegate only that which you understand. This is difficult. Concentrate on the purpose of the responsibility

Consider everything else before yourself and then revel in your self

Don't be a sociopath

"Roughly 4% to as high as 12% of CEOs exhibit psychopathic traits, according to some expert estimates, many times more than the 1% rate found in the general population and more in line with the 15% rate found in prisons. "

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackmccullough/2019/12/09/the-p...

https://hbr.org/2004/10/executive-psychopaths

https://psychopathyis.org/stats/

The key aspect of CEOs that make for success is aligning people with vision and some measure of bravery to eschew "traditional" and "safe" to pursue that vision. That can be either because you are a master manipulator and driven by ego-mania, or because you are genuine and compelling and understand your industry, or both.

Physiologically, you should try to be tall, good looking, outgoing, confident, somewhat narcissistic, and infected with Toxoplasmosis.

http://www.sci-news.com/medicine/toxoplasmosis-entrepreneuri...