When one of the world?s most celebrated tacticians is undone by an affair, a Canadian infidelity expert says there?s only one conclusion to be drawn: that no amount of professional power inoculates against personal weakness.
Friday?s resignation of Central Intelligence Agency director David Petraeus, over an extramarital relationship with his biographer, is just the latest in a long line of career meltdowns spurred by sexual scandal. But no matter the pervasiveness of these dalliances, the culture at large still struggles to reconcile how leaders who rise to power for their good judgment could exhibit such a blatant lack of it.
?There?s this misguided notion that because they were deceitful to their partner, they can?t be trusted with the public good,? says Noel Biderman, a noted Canadian expert on cheating.
?But if we removed every significant person from public office, throughout history, (for infidelity) ? Clinton, F.D.R, J.F.K ? you?d be talking about some of the most famous statespersons of their time. It leaves a very shallow pool of talent to draw from.?
Petraeus?s abrupt resignation came on the heels of an?FBI investigation that uncovered his affair with journalist Paula Broadwell. Both are married with children.
Although U.S. President Barack Obama was reportedly reluctant to accept Petraeus?s walking papers, it?s not unusual for personal missteps to result in professional undoing. In recent history, the former CEOs of such high-profile companies as Best Buy, Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Highmark and Stryker have all exited their positions under such circumstances.
It?s no surprise to Biderman, who as head of AshleyMadison.com ? a dating website for married people ? has consistently observed that people in positions of power are especially vulnerable to affairs. He explains it as ?a mix of nature and nurture.?
Personality-wise, Biderman notes that ?the people who tend to rise to the top are risk-takers,? suggesting that this professional aptitude could carry over into their personal lives. In terms of environmental factors, he says leadership positions tend to involve travel, long periods away from family, and high stress, all of which can lay the groundwork for infidelity.
Author Wesley O. Hagood, author of the book Presidential Sex, notes that about a third of American presidents have been guilty of extramarital relationships ? think Bill Clinton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B, Johnson ? though not all saw professional repercussions.
In Canada, some of the better known cases include that of retired Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, who in 2010 pleaded guilty to having improper relations with a corporal under his command (the affair and cover-up resulted?in a $7,000 fine and symbolic reduction in rank); as well as top ministers within prime minister John Diefenbaker?s government, who in the 1960s reportedly bedded a German playgirl in what?s widely referred to as the Munsinger Affair ? Canada?s first parliamentary sex scandal.
?When people who we hold in high regard, as the cream of the crop ? whether entertainers, athletes or politicians ? fall from grace, we find ourselves wondering how they could risk it all,? says Biderman. ?I think the only insight it ends up giving us is that no one is immune to this.?
mharris(at)postmedia.com
Twitter.com/popcultini
Retired Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard: The former commander of Canada?s mission in Afghanistan pleaded guilty to having an inappropriate relationship with a corporal under his command and impeding an investigation into the affair. He was fined $7,000 and given a symbolic reduction in rank.
Professional golfer Tiger Woods:?Once the highest paid athlete in the world, Woods fell from grace after his public admission of infidelity (at one point, it seemed he had more alleged mistresses than tour championships). A study estimated the shareholder loss caused by Woods? unsavoury behaviour to be as high as $12 billion.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton: Clinton?s extramarital relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky led to an investigation that saw him impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives ? though he was later acquitted of charges in a Senate trial and ultimately remained in office.
Former U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt: The extramarital affair F.D.R. had with social secretary Lucy Mercer is often cited by historians as the catalyst for wife Eleanor?s independent lifestyle and passionate pursuit of social causes.
The Munsinger Affair: Canada?s first parliamentary sex scandal took shape when, in 1966, Liberal minister Lucien Cardin implied that a German playgirl?? and alleged Soviet spy ? had slept with top ministers within Prime Minister John Diefenbaker?s cabinet.
Former Boeing Company CEO Harry C. Stonecipher: After confessing to an affair with a fellow executive, Stonecipher ? who played a key role in designing the company?s ethics policy ? resigned his position in 2005. His wife of 50 years immediately filed for divorce.
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