His experiment with cookies (yes, cookies!) explains why some bosses are such jerks.

Every mean boss ever. Think about it.

When a person has power, they're less likely to be considerate of others.

Doesn't that explain, like, everything?

We all saw it in high school.

In college.

At work.

And it explains just about everything we know about Justin Bieber.

Clearly, it doesn't take much to start these behaviors. All the researchers did in this study was give a few cookies to someone with completely artificial power.

People who feel powerful — even if it's fake power — feel more free to be mean. They probably don't even realize how mean they're being.

What should you do if your boss is a cookie monster?

I don't want to get all MBA on you, but managing up is a thing. By putting some thought into what makes your cookie monster think, you can nudge them into being less, well, monstrous.

Are you a boss? Don't be a cookie monster.

If you've ever been at the mercy of a power-tripping boss, the best thing you can do when you become someone's boss is remember how crappy it made you feel so you can treat your employees with dignity.

Part of your job as Head-[insert noun here]-in-Charge, is to make sure you're getting the best out of your team. (Notice I didn't say "most.") Take some time to brush up on your people-management skills and remember that everyone who works for you is a person who deserves consideration.

This video from "Fig. 1" by the University of California features UC Berkeley psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner.

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