© Martin Argles for the Guardian
A test on former SAS member Andy McNab, pictured giving a lecture at an army camp, revealed a severe lack of empathy and emotion – a trait prevalent in some of the best managers I have played under.
I have been reading a lot about psychopaths lately. Before anyone has cause for concern, I do not mean the murderous type, I mean individuals who appear to display psychopathic tendencies in pursuing their everyday lives according to studies of them. They may be high-flying City workers or politicians. Or even Premier League footballers.
At first glance that might sound far-fetched, but consider that recent research has likened the behaviour of former US presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt, JFK and George W Bush to that of psychopaths. Before we go any further let's be clear: being a psychopath does not mean you are about to harm someone. In any case it takes a clinical assessment to diagnose someone as a psychopath.
What we do know is that psychopaths share common traits. They can be charismatic, charming, manipulative, ambitious, invested in self-gain and deceptive. In fact, by those characteristics, you could be looking at a close description of some of the best footballers in the world - from diving cheats to global stars.
Muhammad Ali said if he had not been a boxer he would have been the best binman in the world instead. That kind of drive is celebrated in our society, but it is not normal.
And, arguably, it comes at cost to everyone else because it's about the achievement of the individual over the masses. Likewise, I have had team-mates for whom winning a match was all about them.
