Why do the worst people rise to power? | Brian Klaas

Why do the worst people rise to power? University College London professor Brian Klaas responds. George Washington famously didn’t want to become the president of the United States, but he accepted the job and performed it well. That’s how people should feel about important leadership positions, according to how political scientist Brian Klaas thinks about the role of power in society. Klaas says that power should be a burden on people because leaders have to make decisions that will ultimately have negative consequences for many people. One problem: some humans don’t care about those consequences. And, according to Klaas, our institutions don’t do a very good job of screening these people out of important leadership spots. Klaas suggests implementing psychological screening for top jobs, asking questions to determine why someone seeks power, and identifying whether they are in it for themselves or for the greater good. These measures can help to ensure that the right people are in positions of power, whether that means leading a company, governing a nation, or handling nuclear weapons. chapters: 0:00 Power should be a burden / Power should keep you up at night 1:18: The dark triad personality traits 1:43 Machiavellianism 2:06 Narcissism 2:40 Psychopathy 4:04 Psychological screening for powerful jobs Listen To This Next: Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential The science of super longevity Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Smarter, Faster.... With Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers. Follow The Podcast And Turn On The Notifications Share This Episode If You Found It Valuable Leave A 5 Star Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices