People are the deadliest invasive species in the history of the earth. People have the potential to kill every living thing and, in certain instances have already done so (e.g. passenger pigeon, western black rhinoceros, great auk) or are on their way to doing so (e.g. sea turtle, elephant, tiger, polar bear). Given their frightful potential and worldwide presence, it would be useful to know something about people. Personality psychology is the “go-to” discipline for understanding people; personality psychology is the only discipline whose primary focus is the nature of human nature. What does personality psychology tell us about human nature? The answer depends on whom you ask, or more precisely, to which personality theory you subscribe.

Keep reading to learn more about the history of personality theory, different theoretical approaches, and the role of personality in organizational and leadership performance.

When the dark side of leadership emerges, organizational catastrophe is just a step away. Financial news proves this year after year. For instance, former CEO Adam Neumann contributed to devaluing the commercial real estate company WeWork by approximately $37 billion in mere months. Now, we all know that the dark side of personality can derail everyone’s behavior from time to time. But leadership derailment is a higher-order problem. As in the case of WeWork, the dark side of leadership can result in bankruptcy and ruin.

Organizational performance is tied to effective leadership, which is the ability to build and maintain a high-performing team. In contrast, executive derailment directly impacts organizational culture and effectiveness, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, productivity, and brand reputation. A leader’s context and rank also affects how publicly or disastrously they tend to derail. The scale of consequences would be completely different for a first-time manager versus an Adam Neumann.

Developing an equitable succession planning strategy is challenging but worthwhile. Organizations that commit to equity throughout their broader talent strategies are more likely to avoid bias, nepotism, and politicking in succession decisions. They’re also more likely to see positive organizational outcomes such as executive team diversity, employee engagement, and a more inclusive organizational climate.

The word potential gets thrown around a lot in talent circles. But merely showing potential doesn’t necessarily lead to measurable success. Individual potential needs to be converted to performance so that teams, leaders, and organizations can thrive.

“Potential doesn’t count for much on its own,” Melvyn Payne, commercial director at Advanced People Strategies said. “For me, performance and delivery are key.”

Here’s the problem with the common wisdom to “just be yourself.” Even though people like to think they’re at their best when they’re being authentic, that just isn’t true. Especially for career development, authenticity can be problematic.

Our so-called authentic impulses include behavior we resist for good reason. Imagine if you showed every single one of your feelings to all your coworkers, leadership included. Sound like a nightmare? Exactly.

Authenticity at work will derail your career.

“What is your greatest weakness?” Most people respond to this common interview question by naming a weakness in the form of an exaggerated strength (e.g., “I care too much about my clients”). Yet this kind of claim may be more accurate than they realize. Our greatest strengths can indeed become our greatest weaknesses when overused.

What seem to be personality strengths early in someone’s career can hinder potential at higher levels of leadership. A top individual contributor used to independence might lean into their autonomy too much as a first-time manager. They could then seem distant and aloof when their team expects guidance and support. As leaders advance, the stakes get higher—and so do the consequences of these overused strengths.

By taking steps to address derailing behaviors, organizations can help leaders leverage their greatest strength without succumbing to their greatest weakness.

At Hogan, we have a unique assessment that measures the dark side of personality. Most people have some dark-side behaviors that can emerge when they’re activated. These can destroy relationships and careers. So, what activates your dark side?

Guess how many employees want a culture where everyone feels included? Nearly everyone – 99 % – values a workplace with an inclusive culture. In one sense, the conditions for inclusion are straightforward: the values of leadership determine the values of the organization. That means to build an inclusive culture, you need inclusive leaders.

So what happens when an organization lacks inclusive leaders? Well, it’s not good. A recent survey found 31 percent of US respondents felt excluded at work, which motivated 55 percent of them to seek employment elsewhere. That’s equivalent to 17 out of 100 employees trying to leave. But retention isn’t the only business metric taking a hit. The absence of inclusion at work can cause shortfalls in productivity, engagement, quality, innovation, and many other outcomes.

Teams are more than just the sum of their parts. They’re complex systems in which individual behaviors can trigger chain reactions that enhance or undermine team effectiveness. The concept of domino derailers reveals how one team member’s behavior under stress can cascade through an entire group, silently eroding team effectiveness and draining organizational energy. Yet when properly understood, these same patterns become powerful leverage points for effective teams.

We examined the personalities of more than 900 private equity executives to see how they compare to other employees around the world. What follows is a summary of what we found.

For many of us, the world of finance is a mystery, filled with names like Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg, and Lloyd Blankfein, who are distinguished from the average working adult by billions of dollars.