What do you think?
Rate this book
Mean Men: The Perversion of America’s Self-Made Man
Finalist for the 2018 Academy of Management George R. Terry Book AwardWinner of the 2018 Axiom Award for Business CommentaryWinner of the 2017 Foreword Silver Award for Social Sciences
The troubling psychology behind some of America’s most famous men
Steve Jobs, Dov Charney, Lance Armstrong, Donald Trump. Each one has reached the pinnacle of American success. Is it because they were ambitious visionaries and talented entrepreneurs? Most Americans would say yes to both. But what else do they have in common?
They’re known for being mean.
Though heralded as great leaders, each of these men and many more have also been exposed as toxic, raging, and manipulative. Yet, because America loves a winner, we look past even the most outrageous behavior from our heroes if it generates a gold medal, a windfall IPO, or a political victory. But at what price does our complicity come? And what role does gender play—is meanness at this level reserved for men?
Drawing on author Mark Lipton’s extensive experience as adviser to major corporations, start-ups, government agencies, and not-for-profits, Mean Men synthesizes decades of psychological research to expose what really drives this subset of America’s leaders. As surprising as it is alarming, the book reveals dark truths about a psychological disorder that rules many of our boardrooms, and challenges the status quo with a more effective humanistic approach to leadership.
The troubling psychology behind some of America’s most famous men
Steve Jobs, Dov Charney, Lance Armstrong, Donald Trump. Each one has reached the pinnacle of American success. Is it because they were ambitious visionaries and talented entrepreneurs? Most Americans would say yes to both. But what else do they have in common?
They’re known for being mean.
Though heralded as great leaders, each of these men and many more have also been exposed as toxic, raging, and manipulative. Yet, because America loves a winner, we look past even the most outrageous behavior from our heroes if it generates a gold medal, a windfall IPO, or a political victory. But at what price does our complicity come? And what role does gender play—is meanness at this level reserved for men?
Drawing on author Mark Lipton’s extensive experience as adviser to major corporations, start-ups, government agencies, and not-for-profits, Mean Men synthesizes decades of psychological research to expose what really drives this subset of America’s leaders. As surprising as it is alarming, the book reveals dark truths about a psychological disorder that rules many of our boardrooms, and challenges the status quo with a more effective humanistic approach to leadership.
- GenresNonfiction
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2017
10 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lipton
6 books10 followersMark Lipton is graduate professor of management at The New School in New York City. For over forty years, he has been a trusted adviser to Fortune 500 corporations, think tanks, philanthropies, not-for-profits, and start-ups.
His diverse entrepreneurial client base includes founders of transformative start-ups in technology, manufacturing, media, education, health care, finance, and marketing. His coaching skills and leadership development programs are engaged by C-level executives across all sectors of the economy, and his development of corporate and nonprofit boards allows them to govern more effectively. In the not-for-profit realm, he has consulted to and led leadership development initiatives for organizations ranging from multibillion-dollar philanthropic game-changers to local community-based social service providers to the world’s largest international NGOs. Much of his work to infuse progressive leadership practices into the NGO and not-for-profit world has been made possible by significant grants from the Ford, Rockefeller, Mott, and Charles H. Revson Foundations, among others.
Mark has led eminence and content strategy for Deloitte’s CEO Program since 2015.
His work as a consultant and professor has inspired his writing for such publications as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and Journal of Management Consulting, as well as his previous book, Guiding Growth: How Vision Keeps Companies on Course (Harvard Business School Press, 2003). A leading authority on the founders’ dilemma, the strong and often dysfunctional psychological forces that organizational founders experience when they are pressured to step down, Mark has been a frequent commentator on National Public Radio’s Marketplace to discuss CEO transitions in the corporate sector.
Mark holds a PhD from the School of Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and was an Erik Erikson Visiting Scholar-in-Residence in 2009 at the Austen Riggs Center. He lives in New York City and the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
His diverse entrepreneurial client base includes founders of transformative start-ups in technology, manufacturing, media, education, health care, finance, and marketing. His coaching skills and leadership development programs are engaged by C-level executives across all sectors of the economy, and his development of corporate and nonprofit boards allows them to govern more effectively. In the not-for-profit realm, he has consulted to and led leadership development initiatives for organizations ranging from multibillion-dollar philanthropic game-changers to local community-based social service providers to the world’s largest international NGOs. Much of his work to infuse progressive leadership practices into the NGO and not-for-profit world has been made possible by significant grants from the Ford, Rockefeller, Mott, and Charles H. Revson Foundations, among others.
Mark has led eminence and content strategy for Deloitte’s CEO Program since 2015.
His work as a consultant and professor has inspired his writing for such publications as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and Journal of Management Consulting, as well as his previous book, Guiding Growth: How Vision Keeps Companies on Course (Harvard Business School Press, 2003). A leading authority on the founders’ dilemma, the strong and often dysfunctional psychological forces that organizational founders experience when they are pressured to step down, Mark has been a frequent commentator on National Public Radio’s Marketplace to discuss CEO transitions in the corporate sector.
Mark holds a PhD from the School of Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and was an Erik Erikson Visiting Scholar-in-Residence in 2009 at the Austen Riggs Center. He lives in New York City and the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 6, 2017
It's hard to imagine a more topical and incisive book than "Mean Men." But at the same time, I was frustrated by the relatively narrow lens through which the author seems to view the problem. His thesis seems to be that abusive management is simply tolerated, rather than actively cultivated, by boards, shareholders, etc. As our nation's plutocracy becomes increasingly entrenched, as capitalism increasingly gives way to monopolies, and as many economists openly endorse the concept of an insecure and submissive workforce, I think "meanness" is much more calculated and insidious than Lipton suggests or acknowledges. Loyalty, high morale and a secure and contented workforce are the last things most plutocrats want in our society. But I'm grateful the writer shed light on the problem and helped empower employees to assert ourselves and our rights. I hope it's not too late.
September 24, 2017
(3.5) This book was not quite what I expected. I thought the book would explore the coarsening of our culture and society's increasing tolerance, nay, veneration of assholes. To a certain extent, the book does address this in passing. For the most part, though, the book gives a taxonomy on mean people (almost all of whom are male). While the author discusses real life examples of "mean men," he does so in a superficial manner for illustrative purposes.
If you are looking for a business consultant type book to help you identify and mitigate against mean people in the workplace, then this book will be a good resource. If you are looking for a cultural study, this book will be a bit of a disappointment.
If you are looking for a business consultant type book to help you identify and mitigate against mean people in the workplace, then this book will be a good resource. If you are looking for a cultural study, this book will be a bit of a disappointment.
December 15, 2018
It's very insightful. It helped me understand and cope with a toxic situation. But the focus - America's Self-Made Man - is a misnomer. American entrepreneurs don’t have a lock on the Mean Man syndrome. Lots of societies value the List of Ten Characteristics of Entrepreneurs and men all over the world overuse them to the point of psychopathy. They are the high functioning politicians, entrepreneurs, corporate and nonprofit leaders we see everyday, everywhere. It’s just part of the human condition. The book also explored why society ignores and even allows these bad behaviors and the effect it has on workplaces and society at-large. Recognizing a problem is the first step. In the era of #MeToo, I hope we will stop giving these jerks a free pass.
This is book defines the problem from a behavioral science perspective and provides rich examples. I'd love for someone to write an entirely different book documenting the efforts of those who are calling these people to account. In spite of society's contempt for this behavior, organizational rules and social norms actually insulate these jerks and make bringing them to account a monumental task. I want to read the stories of those who succeeded.
This is book defines the problem from a behavioral science perspective and provides rich examples. I'd love for someone to write an entirely different book documenting the efforts of those who are calling these people to account. In spite of society's contempt for this behavior, organizational rules and social norms actually insulate these jerks and make bringing them to account a monumental task. I want to read the stories of those who succeeded.
October 5, 2017
This book has the tagline of ‘the perversion of America’s self-made man’, but this has nothing to do with sexual activity. Instead it claims to serve up the ‘disturbing truth’ behind some of America’s most-celebrated success stories.
Icons such as Donald J. Trump, Lance Armstrong and Steve Jobs come under the author’s gaze, noting that whilst many will describe them as ambitious, visionaries, entrepreneurs and talented, there are many other words that are not always present. Words such as mean, manipulative and toxic are allegedly relevant, but tend to be forgotten. Forgotten or tacitly understood and forgiven? The author wonders whether this is because ‘America loves a winner’ and thus any sins can be ignored when an iconic hero is winning. Does this make the average American complicit and even approving of such behaviour, which has been likened to a major psychological disorder?
This is an interesting book that may raise the ire of many readers, whether through disagreement or by realisation of what has been going on. As a non-American outsider, this reviewer can remain a bit aloof. I cannot state whether the author is correct in his observations, but certainly it may match a lot of the perceptions formed over time based on media coverage. The media, however, is not infallible and always right.
The style of the book was something I struggled to get on with. It could have been a little more direct and focussed at times. A more accessible style may have made it ‘easier’ for readers to possibly recognise their own failings and seek to repent and change too. It was a bit too easy to get distracted and put down, which is a shame when there is apparently an important story to tell. It demands an uninterrupted sequential read, yet seems to place barriers in the way.
Icons such as Donald J. Trump, Lance Armstrong and Steve Jobs come under the author’s gaze, noting that whilst many will describe them as ambitious, visionaries, entrepreneurs and talented, there are many other words that are not always present. Words such as mean, manipulative and toxic are allegedly relevant, but tend to be forgotten. Forgotten or tacitly understood and forgiven? The author wonders whether this is because ‘America loves a winner’ and thus any sins can be ignored when an iconic hero is winning. Does this make the average American complicit and even approving of such behaviour, which has been likened to a major psychological disorder?
This is an interesting book that may raise the ire of many readers, whether through disagreement or by realisation of what has been going on. As a non-American outsider, this reviewer can remain a bit aloof. I cannot state whether the author is correct in his observations, but certainly it may match a lot of the perceptions formed over time based on media coverage. The media, however, is not infallible and always right.
The style of the book was something I struggled to get on with. It could have been a little more direct and focussed at times. A more accessible style may have made it ‘easier’ for readers to possibly recognise their own failings and seek to repent and change too. It was a bit too easy to get distracted and put down, which is a shame when there is apparently an important story to tell. It demands an uninterrupted sequential read, yet seems to place barriers in the way.
February 14, 2020
Meanness is as much an epidemic as the coronavirus and maybe as deadly. The spread of this disease and the lack of a true diagnosis as a hazard to others is disturbing. What Mark Lipton does is expose the underbelly for what it is: A perversion!
AMERICA CONFUSES HEARTLESSNESS FOR STRENGTH
Mark Lipton’s is a break-thorough Nice Guy himself, with real experience in the real world. In Mark Lipton’s brilliant book, entitled “Mean Men”, he tells it like it is, synthesizing decades of research exposing what we confuse as strength. This heartless behavior is unacceptable. It reveals dark truths about the psychological disorder and epidemic that rules with profit and me first. Climate collapse, poverty, social injustice, and trauma are just some of the dividends of this form of behavior.
WHAT HAPPENED TO NICE GUYS?
I recently wrote about the counterpart, the "Nice Guy" and quoted Wikipedia's definition: “When used positively, and particularly when used as a preference or description by someone else, it is intended to imply a male who puts the needs of others before his own, avoids confrontations, does favors, gives emotional support, tries to stay out of trouble, and generally acts nicely towards others. In the context of a relationship, it may also refer to traits of honesty, loyalty, romanticism, courtesy, and respect.”
LET'S SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER: NO MORE BULLIES!
I want leadership that is both STRONG AND COMPASSIONATE. Don't you?
AMERICA CONFUSES HEARTLESSNESS FOR STRENGTH
Mark Lipton’s is a break-thorough Nice Guy himself, with real experience in the real world. In Mark Lipton’s brilliant book, entitled “Mean Men”, he tells it like it is, synthesizing decades of research exposing what we confuse as strength. This heartless behavior is unacceptable. It reveals dark truths about the psychological disorder and epidemic that rules with profit and me first. Climate collapse, poverty, social injustice, and trauma are just some of the dividends of this form of behavior.
WHAT HAPPENED TO NICE GUYS?
I recently wrote about the counterpart, the "Nice Guy" and quoted Wikipedia's definition: “When used positively, and particularly when used as a preference or description by someone else, it is intended to imply a male who puts the needs of others before his own, avoids confrontations, does favors, gives emotional support, tries to stay out of trouble, and generally acts nicely towards others. In the context of a relationship, it may also refer to traits of honesty, loyalty, romanticism, courtesy, and respect.”
LET'S SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER: NO MORE BULLIES!
I want leadership that is both STRONG AND COMPASSIONATE. Don't you?
April 3, 2018
Mark Lipton looks behind the curtain at behaviors and decades of psychological research regarding men who have been incredibly successful (Donald Trump, Lance Armstrong, Dov Charney, Mark Pincus, Steve Jobs, etc) yet who are known for being arrogant, abusive, rude, manipulative and toxic.
Lipton also explores why these types of behaviors often go unchecked by Board members, shareholders, and senior executives. He examines the impact on morale, turnover, company profits, scandals, etc.
Lipton's quote, "The silent acceptance of mean pollutes the global society" sums up the importance of speaking up and speaking out and finding ways to change abusive, manipulative behaviors so that mean individuals aren't rewarded and glorified.
Lipton also explores why these types of behaviors often go unchecked by Board members, shareholders, and senior executives. He examines the impact on morale, turnover, company profits, scandals, etc.
Lipton's quote, "The silent acceptance of mean pollutes the global society" sums up the importance of speaking up and speaking out and finding ways to change abusive, manipulative behaviors so that mean individuals aren't rewarded and glorified.
March 1, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads and Mark Lipton. Thank you very much to the author and I apologize, it was a very informative book, but the style was a little too text bookish for me. While I agree with everything the author says, I found my mind drifting. It would definitely be a great research book for a student writing a paper on the subject.
June 23, 2021
This is a well-researched book that helped me understand some men I've known throughout my life. And, it's helped explain why their offspring, often my friends as I grew up, became who they were - all with similar traits. Fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews