Given the popularity of television series such as Billions and Succession, many people think of successful CEOs as having a take-charge personality that is self-centered and ruthless. Narcissism is generally defined as “an exaggerated, yet fragile self-concept of one’s importance and influence.” A narcissistic leader has the following personality traits:

1. A sense of entitlement and superiority.

2. A strong need for attention.

3. A single-minded focus on themselves.

4. A lack of empathy for others.

5. Constant criticism of others.

6. High levels of aggression.

7. An unwillingness to hear feedback.

There are pros and cons to narcissistic leadership. Such leaders drive high performance and achieve bottom-line results during times of rapid change. Leaders that are high on narcissism are impressed by followers who promote themselves because they see them as being like themselves. But narcissistic leaders might be bad for business. First, they may fail to serve customers because they focus too much on themselves. CEOs receive high compensation and may become greedy. They may inhibit innovation because they prefer their own ideas and don’t listen to others. They may even avoid learning new things. This is supported by a study of 467 MBA students in a leader development program, which found that narcissism was negatively related to director ratings of reflection on development and engagement with peers. Narcissistic behavior, in the long term, may have more cons than pros, and followers must be aware of the potential negative aspects of this behavior...........

Discussion Questions

1. Provide an example of a leader that demonstrates narcissism.

2. Discuss the impact of narcissistic leaders favoring followers that promote themselves. Explain why these followers may get faster promotions and become leaders themselves. What is the impact on others in the organization?

3. What can organizations do to guard against the negative impact of a narcissistic leader?