Topics
Psychopaths. Persuasive Communication. High Performance. Social and Workplace Influence. Transformative Innovation. Perseverance.
Professor Kevin Dutton has spent the better part of the past twenty years at the Universities of both Oxford and Cambridge as a research psychologist, bestselling author, and elite performance consultant. His principal research interests are persuasion and social influence, the psychopathic personality, and elite cognition.
As a writer and professor of psychology, as well as an adventurer and consultant within both the public and private sectors, Dr Kev is a ‘mind magician’, effortlessly and expertly helping people to maximise their potential. Typically, his clients come from a wide range of fields including business, senior corporate management, the military, and elite sport.
He is also the co-host of the podcast PSYCHO SCHIZO ESPRESSO with the lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson.
Dr Kev’s first book, FLIPNOSIS – THE ART OF SPLIT-SECOND PERSUASION, documents his quest – from the political genius of Winston Churchill to the malign influence of some of the world’s top con artists – for the psychological ‘DNA’ of persuasion. In the book, he developed the famous SPICE model of social influence – Simplicity, Perceived self-interest, Incongruity, Confidence and Empathy – which form the key ingredients of ‘extreme persuasion’, a brand of influence that has proven of considerable interest to various branches of military intelligence. In Dr Kev’s own words, this militant strain of persuasion “doesn’t just turn the tables. It kicks ‘em over.”
His second book, THE WISDOM OF PSYCHOPATHS – LESSONS IN LIFE FROM SAINTS, SPIES & SERIAL KILLERS, is an international best-seller and a cult classic. With this book, Dr Kev made psychological history by becoming the first person to systematically argue that psychopathic personality traits aren’t necessarily bad but can, dialled up in the right contexts, in the right combinations, at the right levels, and with the right intentions be good not only for the individual who possesses them but also for society as a whole.
In a follow-up book, THE GOOD PSYCHOPATH’S GUIDE TO SUCCESS, Dr Kev, together with former SAS sergeant and bestselling author, Andy McNab, further developed the concept of the “Good Psychopath” to describe those individuals – like Special Forces soldiers, top surgeons, and elite sportspeople – who are able to harness their inner ruthlessness, fearlessness and focus for the good of society rather than to its detriment.
In the summer of 2024, Kevin is leading his South North Adventure team, comprising former GB rower Stephen Feeney, and the “Warrior Monk” and SAS legend, Krish Thapa, to complete a 1500-mile rowing and cycling mission…and a historic first.
The challenge will be covered by Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, and Sky TV.
“Dutton is a Special Forces style psychologist. Daring. Original. No nonsense. All action.”
“Kevin was Salon North’s closing speaker, and what a speaker! He looks perfectly harmless in his cords and rock band hair, but, don’t believe it, he is in fact an arch manipulator of minds, which as a world famous academic in the field of social influence is all in a day’s work.”
