Why aren’t there more women in leadership roles? A lot of ink has been spilled over this question. Often, articles focus on the inherent qualities in women that prevent them from flourishing as leaders—we aren’t “businesslike,” we’re bossy, we’re indecisive, we’re too emotional, we prefer to focus on family matters, we can’t handle the pressure of leadership. It goes on and on. 

Evolutionary psychology and leadership both speak to the nature of human nature. But like humans, they aren’t simple. It takes an expert to explain the primary concepts of evolutionary psychology, its implications in the workplace, and its controversies.

Why do people fall for the psychological tricks that scammers use? Knowing how to avoid scams isn’t easy because the warning signs aren’t always clear. And sometimes our personality characteristics make us more vulnerable to scamming.

Can job applicants fake personality tests? Not really, although it depends on what is meant by the word “faking.”

Personality tests don’t have a pass or fail result. They simply describe personality characteristics. What this means is that candidates can’t manipulate their test results with the “correct” responses. Actually—and this might surprise you—it doesn’t matter if people try to fake personality tests.

We’ll give you four reasons why trying to fake a personality test doesn’t matter. But first, let’s clarify what is often meant by “faking.”

At the end of last year, Hart Consulting conducted a comprehensive survey among its clients to identify the most critical priorities on HR’s strategic agenda for 2025 compared to 2024.

Since 2020, about 25% of all US workers are hybrid workers, with about 15% working fully from home. What could explain this ongoing trend in remote work? Aside from evidence for increased productivity and well-being, personality characteristics can help explain work-from-home preferences.

The science of personality matters to high-potential employees and to the organizations seeking to fill succession benches. The predictive power of personality data can help accelerate effectiveness in high-potential development. But how, exactly?

A discussion between Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp with Allan Church, PhD, cofounder and managing partner at Maestro Consulting and former SVP of global talent management at PepsiCo. He explained why the impact of personality on high-potential employees and leadership development is critical.

We’ve all allowed others to influence our decisions, whether consciously or subconsciously. But what underlying psychological factors are at play? How do social forces change the way we think, feel, and behave?

Let’s talk about how social interaction can cause people to change their behaviors.

“The influence that our environment and other people have on us has an important impact on our lives,” Ryne Sherman said. “How do people influence us? And how do we impact others?”

What unique transition challenges do new CEOs face? How can they optimize high performance in the crucial first few months?

Recently on The Science of Personality, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp spoke with Ty Wiggins, PhD, who is the lead for the CEO and executive transition practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. He is the author of The New CEO: Lessons from CEOs on How to Start Well and Perform Quickly (Minus the Common Mistakes).

As we try to go about the workday facing new challenges in an abruptly virtual world, the way that we manage our stress might not be at the forefront of our minds. Nevertheless, strategic self-awareness is a critical concept when facing daily uncertainty.