The Intoxication of Power (PDF)

Peter Garrard is a clinical academic neurologist based at St George's University of London, UK. His clinical practice and research focus on cognitive and language disorders.

Graham Robinson is a visiting senior fellow at the Surrey Business School of the University of Surrey, UK, where he is concerned with issues of organizational learning and development.

'In the era of globalization, multinational corporations, increasingly complex healthcare systems and the massively resourced wars on drugs and terror, this welcome publication addresses vital questions: how does power corrupt, is it the norm to be susceptible to arrogance with success, how should we vet, facilitate and govern our leaders?'

- Prof. George Ikkos, President Royal Society of Medicine Psychiatry Section 2012-13

'The exercise of power can be associated with overconfidence, excessive narcissism and hubris. Such behaviours will have toxic effects for individual leaders and their organisations. This book is timely in offering a pragmatic inter-disciplinary approach to leadership pathologies by authoritative contributors in raising awareness and promoting evidence based research.'

- Prof. Nick Bouras, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, King's College London

'This important book searches for causes of personal failure within the individual's psyche. It makes the case for personal development and careful preparation for positions of high responsibility. Its message for tomorrow's leaders is: the Sun is not your problem; it is how well prepared you are for the heat. This is as much up to you as it is to your mentors. A reading of this book will help.'

- Sir Bob Reid, Chairman ICE Futures and ICE Clear Europe. Former Chairman and Chief Executive, Shell UK Limited; former Chairman British Rail; former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Scotland