
The Psychology of Power: Why Good People Become Bad Leaders | Episode 163
From The Dirty Side of Leadership by Ron Ward & Kristin Sokoloff
June 4, 2026 · 46 min · Season 2 · Episode 163
About this episode
This episode explores how power influences leadership decisions and the psychological implications of authority.
Send us Fan Mail Power is one of the most influential—and dangerous—forces in leadership. In this episode, Ron and Kristin examine how authority affects human behavior, why even good people can make poor leadership decisions, and what history, psychology, and neuroscience teach us about the responsibility that comes with influence. The discussion explores the famous Stanford Prison Experiment, where ordinary college students were randomly assigned the roles of guards and prisoners. Within da...
People in this episode
Hosts: Ron Ward, Kristin Sokoloff
Topics covered
- power dynamics
- leadership
- psychology
- authority
- human behavior
Keywords
- leadership
- psychology
- power
- Stanford Prison Experiment
- human behavior
- authority
- decision making
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