Geraint Anderson, a former London investment banker turned author, has become an unlikely expert on recognising psychopathic behaviour in corporate settings. His journey from ambitious trader to disillusioned insider offers a window into how certain personality traits—often associated with psychopathy—can flourish in high-pressure financial environments and how to distinguish between genuinely problematic colleagues and those simply displaying situational adaptations.
Anderson spent 12 years working as an analyst in London's financial district, where he earned millions of pounds before departing ahead of the 2008 financial crash. During his career, he was assessed by clinical psychologist Kerry Daynes, who concluded he was not a psychopath but rather had developed what she termed "situational psychopathy"—the ability to amplify certain darker personality traits when his environment rewarded ruthless ambition.
What distinguishes a psychopath from a difficult colleague?
Psychopathy is classified as an antisocial personality disorder rather than a clinical diagnosis in itself. Individuals with these traits think and behave differently from others in several key ways: they struggle to maintain long-term relationships, have difficulty controlling anger, and typically lack guilt while blaming others for their problems.
However, not everyone displaying problematic workplace behaviour meets the threshold for psychopathy. Robert Snowden, a Cardiff University psychologist who has studied psychopathy for approximately 25 years and collaborated with Robert Hare, creator of the psychopathy checklist (PCL-R), explains that psychopathy exists on a spectrum rather than as a binary classification. The PCL-R comprises 20 questions, each scored between zero and two, yielding a maximum score of 40. Most people score below five, while a score of 25 or above typically indicates psychopathy. Anderson assessed himself at around eight or nine.
Importantly, psychopathy is related to but distinct from antisocial personality disorder; the latter requires a documented history of antisocial and criminal behaviour that is not necessarily present in individuals with psychopathic traits.
How do psychopathic traits emerge in corporate environments?
Anderson described his transformation into a corporate operator as deliberate and calculated. In his early twenties, he was living in Goa, India, selling trinkets to tourists on beaches. His brother persuaded him to apply for a finance position, which he initially viewed as temporary.
"I cut off my ponytail, shaved off my beard, took all my earrings out, bought a £60 suit - all that's totally true - the day before I had my interview."
Once established as an intern, success became consuming. Bonuses transformed into his primary metric for measuring personal achievement, allowing him to benchmark himself against peers at rival institutions and feeding his competitive drive. He recognised that certain traits associated with psychopathy had facilitated his ascent through the ranks.
"I had a degree of fearlessness. I had a bit of - dare I say - glib charm. I wasn't hugely emotionally affected by things that happened on the trading floor."
Anderson observed that the financial sector actively incentivises what he calls "dark triad behaviour"—extreme confidence, the ability to control and manipulate others, emotional detachment from decisions, and swift decisiveness.
"The city rewards this dark triad behaviour... being uber confident, being able to control and manipulate others, not getting emotionally involved in decisions and being decisive. I adapted myself for the city and started bringing out the kind of worst side of myself."
Recent research supports this observation. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis found psychopathy had the strongest pooled association with workplace bullying perpetration among the Dark Triad traits (r = 0.53; 95% CI 0.28–0.71), indicating that environments tolerating or rewarding such behaviour may attract and reinforce these characteristics.
What are the strengths and dangers of psychopathic leadership?
Snowden acknowledges that certain psychopathic traits can produce leadership advantages.
"They can be very strong and, in some ways, make good leaders... but there are many deficits to their leadership and it's all about them and not about other people."The fundamental deficit, he emphasises, is a lack of empathy for others.
"Most psychopaths never kill anybody. But they may take advantage of other people, exploit other people, not care about other people."
Snowden notes that certain corporate structures appeal specifically to individuals with psychopathic traits because these roles often require emotional distance and a singular focus on financial returns. Occupational psychologists now use tests to identify "dark side" traits, or "derailers," that can emerge under pressure; financial institutions may seek a balance of boldness, low anxiety, risk appetite and emotional detachment without tipping into recklessness or unethical behaviour.
Can psychopathy be treated or changed?
No evidence-based treatment exists for psychopathy, primarily because individuals with these traits typically do not perceive anything wrong with themselves and therefore lack motivation to change. However, Anderson's case suggests that people without clinical psychopathy can adopt and later abandon psychopathic-style behaviours when circumstances shift.
Daynes concluded that Anderson had become a "situational psychopath," capable of amplifying his darker personality characteristics to succeed in an environment that rewarded ruthless ambition.
"You don't need to be a psychopath to thrive - for a while at least - in a psychopathic culture."She noted that Anderson occupied
"the sweet spot that most people can't attain"—the ability to "crank up" darker traits without losing his fundamental capacity for empathy and ethical reflection.
Anderson's disillusionment with finance grew as he witnessed what he perceived as systemic greed, reckless risk-taking, and rule-breaking.
"I just looked around and thought 'I'm on the wrong team'... What on Earth are you doing? You are part of the problem."He departed the industry and became the anonymous columnist "Cityboy" for the London Paper, publishing weekly accounts of the financial world's excesses—excessive entertaining, drug use, and sexual misconduct.
His column evolved into the book "Cityboy," which sold more than 400,000 copies and was translated into six languages. He has since published five books, with his most recent exploring how adopting psychopathic traits can facilitate corporate advancement. Anderson described himself as having been "a less pleasant person" during his banking years but expressed hope that he has become "a warmer person" now.
"I'm more able to feel like trying to have integrity and not manipulate and be ruthless."He added with humour that his wife might dispute whether he has entirely shed his psychopathic tendencies.
How should organisations identify and manage psychopathic traits?
Anderson emphasises the critical importance of recognising where psychopathic traits should and should not be tolerated.
"The most important thing when it comes to psychopaths is 'you don't promote them, you don't marry them and you don't vote for them.'"This reflects a broader concern: while certain traits may enhance short-term performance in specific roles, their presence in leadership positions can create toxic cultures and expose organisations to ethical and legal risks.
The challenge for modern workplaces lies in distinguishing between individuals with genuine psychopathic traits and those like Anderson—capable people who have temporarily adopted such behaviours to survive in demanding environments. Understanding this distinction is essential for building organisations that reward ambition and decisiveness without inadvertently promoting those who lack fundamental empathy for their colleagues and stakeholders.
