B is for Business | Cluster B Personality Disorders

Borderline is part of “Cluster B” personality disorders, affectionately known as the “Dominant” or “Control” cluster. This is a short free-write exercise, but does not take my typical poetry format. Instead, think of it as a quick and dirty guide to Cluster Bs in the business world.

Cluster B Personality Disorders: 4 / 10 PDs

1. Borderline
2. Histrionic
3. Narcissistic
4. Antisocial

In 2020 USA, Cluster B is disproportionately represented in corporate leadership. Roughly 2-5% of USA adults have a Cluster B personality disorder, while experts estimate 8-12% of CEOs blatantly exhibit all of Cluster B’s traits.

How do symptoms often show up in business leadership?

Cluster B Business Leadership: Positives

1. Strategy-only thinking: The boss doesn’t let human relationships get in the way of company decisions. Also referred to as cold, un-empathic, or no-nonsense leadership style.

2. Confidence: The boss needs to be confident in their abilities and show they aren’t held back by self-doubt. This needs to be something employees can easily see.

3. Logistics: The boss easily understands all aspects of how the company runs and why. Business operational logistics tend to come easily to Cluster Bs because it mimics their unusually “complex brain structure and function.”

4. Theatricality: The boss is completely (or overly) committed to the company’s goals and inspires others to align with their vision.

So, what’s the problem?

Simply put: If a person does not realize they have a PD or resist treatment for it, their success in business will feed the detrimental side of their disorder.

Cluster B Business Leadership: Negatives

1. Unethical business practices: The boss gathers the most money possible for their company by manipulating the Capitalistic society they were born into.

By the same token, Cluster B is more likely to use unethical business practices to make money. This may occur after initial monetary success because the new situation “given” to them becomes too tempting to resist.

2. Arrogance: The boss’ ugly side of “confidence.” If they resist therapeutic intervention, Cluster B may fall into the mindset of everyone else existing beneath them. This can be caused by the knowledge that people with PDs have a complex brain process that ~85% of the world does not have. Therefore, they see the “problem” as existing in the world, not in themselves.

3. Hostility: The boss is easily annoyed and angry at coworkers who do not live up to their strict standards for the company. This type of toxic work environment is overall detrimental to the company, especially in the long-run.

Cluster B Personality Disorder: Good News!

You, a person with a Cluster B personality disorder, have complete control over your actions! Yes, you face mental struggles that nonPD people will ever be able to imagine, but these problems do not control you.

Even though 8-12% of CEOs decide to let their personality disorders dictate how they conduct business, that fact does not mean you will. In fact, being aware of these possibilities can help you avoid them as your career advances.

Be aware of these problems so you can actively fight against them.

Then what?

Use your unique brain processes to take down unethical business leaders (especially those who have your same disorder(s), similar one(s), or even just exhibit common PD traits). You have the specific opportunity to identify others “like you” and then actively allow your Cluster B symptoms to covertly remove them from their leadership positions.

Author’s Note: Yes, this should be taken as a direct threat to any CEO who thinks they can do whatever they want while actively hurting the planet, other human beings, and/or our global economy. In fact, I used to actively avoid the business world because I feared becoming like you — I refused to major in business for years! I thought my “evil urges” were something inherently wrong with me. But now that I understand why my brain thinks the way it does, I can more easily avoid actions that go against my soul’s moral code. . .

. . .And I’m coming for ya’ll who don’t have that code at all 🙂