STUDENT SURVEYS LEADERSHIP SKILLS
To combat organisational cultures that are rife with toxic leadership and unethical decision-making, graduates must understand human behaviour and discourage destructive patterns, says Open Academy founder Daniel Tůma . That, he argues, means recognising psychology as a foundational aspect of leadership development T o help students navigate the complexity of modern organisations, business schools must look beyond the traditional disciplines of finance, strategy, marketing and operations. Today, some of the greatest organisational risks arise not from emerging technologies or volatile when promotion systems value short-term results above integrity, when intimidation replaces collaboration, or when fear suppresses open communication. In these instances, organisations begin reproducing toxic leadership regardless of who occupies management positions and the system itself becomes the primary problem. This distinction is crucial for future executives. Effective leadership is not only about selecting talented people but also about designing organisational structures that encourage ethical behaviour and discourage destructive
markets but from human behaviour. Toxic leadership, abuse of power, psychological insecurity, unethical decision- making, burnout and dysfunctional organisational cultures have all become major threats to organisational performance, innovation and long-term sustainability. In this light, psychology should not be regarded as a supplementary soft skill but a strategic leadership competency. This conviction lies at the heart of Open Academy’s MBA in psychology and leadership. The programme asks a simple question: “How can leaders make sound business decisions if they do not understand the people who implement them?” Fundamentally, leadership is about influencing behaviour, building trust and creating environments in which people can perform safely, ethically and effectively. Psychopathy’s impact One of the most important topics we teach is corporate and systemic psychopathy. The term “corporate psychopathy” was popularised through the work of Anglia Ruskin University associate professor Clive Boddy. His research demonstrated that individuals with elevated psychopathic traits can thrive in competitive organisational environments. While such individuals might often appear charismatic, confident and decisive, they also tend to display manipulativeness, a lack of empathy, superficial relationships and a willingness to exploit others for personal gain. Boddy’s research links the presence of these characteristics to toxic cultures, increased bullying, lower organisational trust, a higher turnover of staff and poorer long-term performance. The implications here are of clear significance. However, focusing on individuals alone is insufficient. We therefore introduce students to “systemic psychopathy” as well, a broader concept describing organisational systems that unintentionally reward unethical behaviour. For example,
patterns. And prevention is significantly less costly than repairing damaged cultures after crises emerge. Understanding corporate and systemic psychopathy also prepares students to recognise psychosocial risks before they escalate. Organisations that ignore these issues often experience absenteeism, presenteeism, burnout, conflict and declining engagement. Conversely, organisations that cultivate psychological safety, trust and ethical leadership create resilient teams capable of adapting to uncertainty. For these reasons, we should view psychology as an essential pillar of contemporary management education. Business schools must no longer educate leaders who understand only markets and financial statements. They must also understand people, because sustainable organisational success depends on human behaviour as much as on business strategy. When empathy leads to manipulation If corporate psychopathy explains why organisations sometimes fail despite employing highly intelligent executives, “dark empathy” might help explain how some individuals become exceptionally effective at influencing others. Traditionally, empathy has been viewed as an inherently positive leadership quality. Business schools have encouraged future managers to develop emotional intelligence, active listening and interpersonal sensitivity. However, recent research suggests that the picture is decidedly more complex than this. Nottingham Trent University’s Nadja Heym introduced the concept of the dark empath to describe individuals who combine relatively high levels of empathy with elevated traits from the so‑called “dark triad” of narcissism, Machiavellianism
Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2026
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