Snakes in Suits : Understanding and Surviving the Psychopaths in Your Office

Revised and updated with the latest scientific research and updated case studies, the business classic that offers a revealing look at the corporate psychopath―how to spot their destructive workplace behavior and stop them from creating chaos in the modern corporate organization.

Over the past decade, Snakes in Suits has become the definitive book on how to discover and defend yourself against psychopaths in the office. Now, Dr. Paul Babiak and Dr. Robert D. Hare return with a revised and updated edition of their essential guide.

All of us at some point have―or will―come into contact with psychopathic individuals. The danger they present may not be readily apparent because of their ability to charm, deceive, and manipulate. Although not necessarily criminal, their self-serving nature frequently is destructive to the organizations that employ them. So how can we protect ourselves and our organizations from this manipulative behavior in a business climate that offers the perfect conditions for psychopaths to thrive?

In Snakes in Suits, Hare, an expert on the scientific study of psychopathy, and Babiak, an industrial and organizational psychologist and a leading authority on the corporate psychopath, examine the role of psychopaths in modern corporations and provide the tools employers can use for personal self-defense to avoid and deal with them. Together, they have developed the B-Scan 360, a research tool designed specifically for business professionals.

Dr. Babiak and Dr. Hare reveal the secret lives of psychopaths, explain the ways in which they manipulate and deceive, and help you to see through their games. The rapid pace of today’s corporate environment provides the perfect breeding ground for these "snakes in suits" and this newly revised and updated classic gives you the insight, information, and power to protect yourself and your company before it’s too late.

This essential guide provides the tools you need to identify and neutralize these toxic employees in your own organization:

• Identify Red Flags: Learn the subtle but consistent personality traits and destructive behaviors that signal a snake in a suit is operating in your midst.
• Understand Psychopathic Manipulation: Decode the playbook of charm, deceit, and game-playing that corporate psychopaths use to gain trust, create chaos, and turn colleagues against each other.
• Leadership vs. Deception: Distinguish between genuine leadership qualities and the charismatic façade of a manipulator who mimics them for personal gain.
• Protect Your Company: Implement practical strategies and organizational safeguards, including insights from the B-Scan 360 research tool, to defend your team and your bottom line.

Paul Babiak, Ph.D. is a New York-based industrial and organizational psychologist, and president of HRBackOffice, an executive coaching and consulting firm specializing in helping executives deal with possible psychopaths hiding within their organizations. He and his collaborators have conducted some of the most influential original research on corporate psychopaths. His work has been featured in newspapers, business magazines, and documentaries and he has been a guest on many radio and television talk shows. His clients have included executives in business, academia, law enforcement, government, insurance, medicine, marketing, finance and intelligence and he speaks about the corporate psychopath at professional conferences and business meetings. Paul is vice president of the Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy Foundation, a non-profit organization providing information and support for victims of psychopathy.

Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., is the author of Without Conscience and the creator of the standard tool for diagnosing psychopathy. He is an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, and president of Darkstone Research Group, a forensic research and consulting firm. He has won numerous awards for his research, lectures widely on psychopathy, and consults with law enforcement organizations, including the FBI. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife.