Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the point for such leaders, unconscious though it may be, is to feel safe. There's something they're hoping never to have to experience or feel ever again, and this is what they're doing to keep that from happening. It's only ever going to be a temporary solution, but the parts of the person's psyche that are driving these decisions are probably pretty stuck in a difficult time when they felt powerless agains…
Perhaps ethics classes should be replaced with counselling sessions so people can value their demons. Maybe C-suite execs and corporate board members should have mandatory hours of monthly therapy in order to have the power they wield.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad
(Therapy and counseling won't change such personality traits)