Narcissistic%20Leaders

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Narcissistic Leaders

• HDCS 4393/4394InternshipDr. Shirley Ezell

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Many Leaders Today have a Narcissistic
Personality

• Narcissists have always emerged to inspire people
  and to shape the future.
• There is a dark side to narcissism these leaders
  are emotionally isolated and highly distrustful
  with perceived threats in many areas.
• Freud named this type after the mythical figure
  Narcissus who died because of his pathological
  preoccupation with himself.

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Productive Narcissists

• Leaders such as Jack Welch and George Soros are
  examples of productive narcissists because they
  are creative strategists who see the big picture
  and find meaning in the challenge of changing the
  world and leaving a legacy.
• Productive narcissists are not only risk takers
  willing to get the job done but also charmers who
  can convert the masses with their rhetoric.
• The danger is that narcissism can turn
  unproductive when, if they lack self-knowledge
  and restraining anchors. In this case,
  narcissists become unrealistic dreamers.

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The Challenges of Working with Narcissists

• Ensure that such leaders do not self-destruct or
  lead the company to disaster.
• It is very hard for narcissists to work through
  the issues. And virtually impossible for them to
  do it alone.
• They need colleagues and therapists if they hope
  to break free from their limitations.
• It is very difficult to get near them. And they
  must recognize they can benefit from help.
• For employees, they must learn to work around
  them.

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Three Main Personality Types

• Three Types (From Freud)
• - Erotic
• - Obsessive
• - Narcissistic.
• Most of us have elements of all 3 types.

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Erotic

• Erotic personalities are ones for whom loving
  and above all being loved is most important. This
  individual is dependent on those people they fear
  will stop loving them. As managers, they are
  caring and supportive, they avoid conflict, and
  make people dependent on them.
• Many erotic personalities are teachers, nurses,
  and social workers.

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Obsessives, Narcissistics, and Fromms 4th
Personality Type

• Obsessives are inner-directed, self-reliant, and
  conscientious. They create and maintain order
  and make the most effective operational managers.
  The best obsessives set high standards and
  communicate very effectively. The unproductive
  and the uncooperative become narrow experts and
  rule-bound bureaucrats.
• Productive narcissists understand the vision
  particularly well, they are not analyzers who can
  break up big questions into manageable problems,
  nor do they try to extrapolate to understand the
  future they try to create it.
• Fromm described a 4th personality, a person that
  is more detached, motivated by a radar like
  anxiety. And they excel at selling themselves to
  others. Unproductive marketing types lack
  direction and the ability to commit themselves to
  people or projects.

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Weaknesses of the Narcissistic Leader

• Typically not comfortable with their own emotions
  and they listen only for the kind of information
  they seek.
• They dont learn easily from others.
• They dont like to teach but prefer to
  indoctrinate and make speeches and dominate
  meetings with subordinates.
• The main problem is that their faults tend to
  become more pronounced as they become more
  successful.
• They are thin-skinned, they do not want to know
  what people think of them, cannot tolerate
  dissent, and are extremely abrasive with
  employees who doubt them.
• Often they are poor listeners, lack empathy, have
  a distaste of mentoring, and an intense desire to
  compete.

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Avoiding the traps

• A narcissistic leader can find a trusted
  sidekick, can convert others to think the way
  they do by indoctrinating the organization and
  then get into analysis.
• How do your work for a Narcissistic? Empathize
  with your bosss feelings, give your boss ideas,
  hone your time, management skills and be prepared
  to get out.