They say we live in the age of narcissism. Yes, thanks to the many social networking platforms, even the most humble of people can inadvertently come across as narcissistic. However, is merely posting on social media truly narcissism? Or, are we just too sensitive? And what about all of the selfie photos we are subjected to on a daily basis. Social media aside, let’s move to the subject of narcissism in the realm of leadership.
First, what exactly is narcissism? The word according to the International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis is derived from the Greek myth of Narcissus, referring to self-love. Beginning with Freud, who considered narcissism from the standpoint of sexuality, to more modern theorists, such as Fischer and cited by Emmons (1987) who found that narcissism had a subclinical component because it could be prevalently seen in the general population.
When considering narcissism within the realm of leadership, an easily translatable concept is narcissism as a personality trait. In terms of the Big Five traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and neuroticism, according to Paulhus and cited by Campbell, Hoffman, Campbell and Marchisio (2011) the most “grandiose narcissists are ‘disagreeable extraverts’”. Another finding Campbell et al. (2011) share is that, preliminary research indicates there is the link between narcissism and leader emergence. As well, Campbell et al. (2011) point out there is what they call a bright and dark side of narcissism in leadership.
The Campbell and Campbell model known as the contextual reinforcement model found, that in the instance of leader emergence, when the leadership position is new or when leadership happens during a chaotic situation, narcissism has a bright side (Campbell et al., 2011). Khoo and Birch, et al., tout “their strong social skills and charisma” (Campbell et al., 2011) as well as bold risk taking as beneficial in a crisis situation. However, narcissism moves to the dark side when the leadership position is long-held or leadership occurs during stable situations. Khoo and Birch, et al., points out in these conditions, their exploitative and unethical tendencies become negative to their followers and the organization as a whole.
Campbell’s findings are significant in an organizational setting. What should be done about narcissistic leaders? It is important for organizations to recognize the situations in which narcissists thrive and conversely the situations where they will flounder and act accordingly.
References:
Campbell, W. K., Hoffman, B. J., Campbell, S. M., & Marchisio, G. (2011, November) Narcissism in Organizational Contexts, Human Resource Management Review, 21(4), 268-284. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/science/article/pii/S1053482210000574
Vincent, M. (2005). Narcissism. In A. de Mijolla (Ed.), International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (Vol. 2, pp. 1104-1109). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3435300947&v=2.1&u=psucic&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=5a0d661b65c089f9cdf230a11d68d08b
After learning about Narcissus in Greek mythology, and reading countless cases of narcissism in other psychology classes, I could not help but deduce that while narcissism seems to be an unbecoming quality in these aspects, it tends to hold a different stance in the leadership world. Narcissistic personality disorder is defined by the DMS-5 as “having a sense of exaggerated importance”, or in simpler terms, pretty much being extremely self-absorbed (DSM-5, 2013). However, this show of grandeur often hides the insecurities and low self-esteem of the narcissistic individual. Narcissism is not considered to be a likeable trait in people, yet M. Maccoby seems to view it differently within leadership situations.
One might assume that a narcissist in a role of leadership might be some sort of nightmare, but Maccoby’s “The Productive Narcissist” insists that the narcissistic leader is “not vain and does not attempt to impress” (Maccoby, 2003). This seems a bit odd, as we often associate narcissism with vanity. Maccoby continues to elaborate that narcissism has its place in leadership, as he or she fails to take direction from others and does not lose sight of an intended goals. He also notes that the productive narcissism that is found in leaders should not be mistaken with the egotistical narcissists that come to most people’s minds. However, true to narcissistic form, Maccoby notes that followers should not look to the narcissist to fulfill their needs, nor try to compete or identify with the narcissist or his or her knowledge, as no one can match the narcissist’s expertise (Maccoby, 2003).
So does narcissism have its place in the leadership world? While it is important to be confident in one’s abilities and stick to achieving visions of success, one’s sense of accomplishment should not overshadow and undermine the ideas and suggestions of followers. Narcissism can be important in one’s drive for success, but a leader must also consider those who helped him or her achieve their goals, and return the favor with respect and dignity.
Narcissistic personality disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013. http://www.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed February 4, 2015.
Maccoby, M. (2003). “The Productive Narcissist: The Promise and Peril of Visionary Leadership”. New York: Broadway.
Martin Luther King Jr. is considered a great leader and your blog addresses his leadership based on the trait approach to leadership. he could be consider a great leader on Northouse (2013) definition leadership: a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Which he was able to do and the way was able to do it was more impressive. He and his followers were able to remain non-violent in the face of violent resistance to the goals they were trying to achieve.