The Narcissistic leader: Good or Bad?

Narcissistic leaders are very independent and not easily impressed. They are innovators, driven in business to gain power and glory. Jack Welch (CEO, General Electricity) and George Soros (Investor, Hedge Fund Manager) are examples of productive narcissists. Productive narcissists are specialists in their industries. They are critical thinkers, obsessed with learning everything about everything that affects the company and its products. They do not want to be loved, but admired. They are not troubled by a punishing superego, so they focus on aggressively pursuing their goals. They, however, risk isolating themselves at their moment of success. Because of their independence and aggressiveness, they constantly make enemies, sometimes degenerating into paranoia when under extreme stress. When narcissism becomes unproductive, narcissists can become unrealistic dreamers, lacking self — knowledge and restraining anchors.

The question then is: Can businesses today really afford to take a risk on narcissistic leaders, taking advantage of their strengths while tempering their weaknesses?

The incredible pros of a narcissistic leader

Vision

Productive narcissists are gifted and creative strategists who see the big picture and find meaning in the risky challenge of changing the world and leaving behind a legacy. They have the audacity to push through the massive periodical changes society undertakes. They are charmers, with the ability to gain followers with their rhetoric. One of the great qualities of leadership is having vision, and productive narcissist understand this particularly well.

Scores of followers

Simply put, a leader is someone whom other people follow. Narcissists are especially skilled in attracting followers, and more often than not, they do so through language. They are gifted orators, and they believe that words can move mountains and that inspiring speeches can change people. But, narcissistic leaders are heavily dependent on their followers — they need affirmation, adulation. This kind of adulation can result in them being more closed off and isolated. Indeed, if no one responds, the narcissist could fall into insecurity and become insistent.

The inevitable cons of a narcissistic leader

Sensitive to criticism

Narcissists are very sensitive. Criticisms or slights feel like knives threatening their self-image and their confidence in their visions. They bruise easily. For this reason, narcissistic leaders do not want to know what people think of them unless it is causing them a real problem. They can be extremely harsh to employees who doubt them or subordinates who are tough enough to fight back.

Poor listeners

Narcissistic leaders oversensitivity to criticism means they do not listen when they feel attacked or threatened. They could get defensive, going so far as to make a virtue of the fact that they do not listen, saying something like, “I did not get here by listening to people!”.

An intense need to compete

Organizations led by narcissists are generally characterized by intense internal competition. They have an intense passion to win, marked by the promise of glory and the primitive danger of extinction. This energizes a company and creates a sense of urgency. The danger is that they see everything as a threat, so they find enemies where there are none — even among colleagues.

Lack of empathy

Narcissistic leaders may crave empathy from others, but they are not noted for being empathetic themselves. This does not mean that they cannot communicate and inspire. In fact, some could argue that a lack of empathy can be a strength, especially in times of radical change. When it comes to making critical decisions that make people angry and sad, a lack of empathy can make it easier for narcissistic leaders to, for example, buy and sell companies, close or move facilities, or lay off employees.

So, do the pros outweigh the cons for hiring a narcissistic leader for your organization? How would hiring a narcissistic leader affect your organization? It will be helpful to read our previous blog that discusses how to deal with the a narcissistic boss.

The large number of narcissists in charge of organizations today presents a challenge. Organizations have to ensure that such leaders do not self-destruct or lead the company to disaster. That can be difficult because narcissists hardly work through their issues — and it is virtually impossible for them to do it alone. They need colleagues and even a therapist if they hope to break free from their limitations. Although, because of their extreme independence and self — protectiveness, this could prove difficult. A therapist would have to display a profound empathic understanding and sympathy for the narcissist’s feelings in order to gain trust. Narcissists must also recognize that they can benefit from such help. This is where we come in. At PAT Consulting, we provide robust solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions. We also provide counselling services. We are happy to help. Contact us at info@patnigeria.com or 0907 870 6967.

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