Âé¶ą´«Ă˝

Mind

Naysayers rise to the top because we naturally treat them as leaders

By Alice Klein

8 October 2018

Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s rise to power may be down to his critical approach

LARRY W SMITH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Negative, critical people often ascend to positions of leadership because their disregard for social niceties makes them seem powerful, research suggests.

at the University of Virginia explored people’s attitudes towards “naysayers” – those who express negative, critical views, and “cheerleaders” – those who express positive, supportive views.

Across 11 experiments, she found that naysayers were considered more powerful and suitable for leadership roles than cheerleaders.

In one experiment, students were asked to read positive and negative restaurant reviews. They rated the author of…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶ą´«Ă˝ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop