4 reasons leaders seem worse than regular people | Brian Klaas

University College London professor Brian Klaas exposes the ugly truth about world leaders. Political scientist Brian Klaas uses philosophical thought experiments like the "trolley problem" to explore the moral complexities faced by leaders when making decisions under immense uncertainty. According to Klaas, Winston Churchill's World War II choices serve as real-life examples of such dilemmas. Klaas identifies four factors—dirty hands, learning, opportunity, and scrutiny—that may falsely appear as corruption in leaders. "Dirty hands" refers to leaders making harm-inflicting decisions when all options are bad. "Learning" means leaders becoming more efficient at causing harm over time. "Opportunity" signifies the increased chances of those in power to cause harm, while "scrutiny" refers to heightened public examination of leaders' actions. Klaas asserts that misinterpretations of these factors can lead to incorrect problem diagnoses and solutions. While these factors should not absolve leaders from accountability, they do provide a nuanced understanding of leadership complexities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapters: 0:00 Cracking the Enigma code: Churchill’s WWII trolley problem 2:07 Why all leaders make bad decisions 2:42 4 factors of the corruption illusion 3:12 #1 The dirty hands problem 3:38 #2 The idea of learning 4:09 #3 The problem of opportunity 4:30 #4 The problem of scrutiny Listen To This Next: Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential The science of super longevity Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business About Brian Klaas: Associate Professor of Global Politics at University College London, Contributing Writer for The Atlantic, author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, and Creator/Host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century. Get Smarter, Faster.... With Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers. Follow The Podcast And Turn On The Notifications!! Share This Episode If You Found It Valuable Leave A 5 Star Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices