Assholes and sociopaths succeed because they are very efficient at doing the things normal and nice people may find hard or wrong - but which nevertheless lead to business success. The overall issue I wonder about, is that if sociopaths wind up at the tops of corporate ladders, is the culture they set, while useful, in fact counterproductive.

There are a lot of people who come across as assholes in the blogosphere, but could be quite the opposite in person. I think just having a reputation of being an asshole is enough to hurt your chances of working with some companies or people to some degree. Hopefully that is countered by a degree of tenacity and ambition "assholes" tend to have.

A good example would be Jason Calcanis. I've never met him in person (though I did come within 5 feet of his office when I interviewed at Mahalo). He comes across as someone I would never want to have dealings with, business or otherwise. Good thing for him I'm just a small fish. But I would probably feel the same way if I were the CEO of a big company looking to buy Mahalo. But I bet Mr. Calcanis wouldn't want to be bought out anyway.

An asshole at the helm is an advantage.

An excellent opportunity has arisen for two almost identical companies, A and B, but it involves ethics that would make a decent person uncomfortable. A is run by a decent person, and they skip the opportunity because it's the decent thing to do. B is run by an asshole, and they jump at the opportunity with glee, maybe even with a small chuckle at all the companies that would have passed up the opportunity on ethical grounds.

Company B is now better off, because of, not despite, their asshole.

http://www.stevejobsisanasshole.com/

Happens all the time. I would cite references, but that would preclude me from working for them ;)

Why not? Look at almost any construction site in an ex. Soviet block - bunch of assholes 'managing' a crowd of wage-workers from a ex Soviet republics. It is the most popular business in Russia nowadays. ^_^