Narcissist bosses… to have or become one?

Donald Trump, Simon Cowell, Steve Jobs… Matilda Djerf? It seems that some of the most successful people in the world tend to have one thing in common… suspected narcissism. Why is that the trend? How can we avoid them? To be successful, do we need to become one?

We all know someone with a nightmare boss; endless deadlines, minimal praise and even mind games. It begs the question, why do these types of people always end up at the top of the pecking order. Although narcissism isn’t something to brag about, there are a few famous faces who have been said to have narcissistic traits. Despite this, since here we are talking about them, they’re amongst the most successful.

The Oxford Dictionary classifies a narcissist as someone who ‘has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves’. According to clinical studies, 0.5 – 1% of the population have narcissistic personality disorder. However, this does not encompass people who show narcissistic traits. Despite it being labelled as a negative, it is potentially something we should learn to see as an evolutionary trait. 60% of narcissism is inherited, the rest learnt.

A narcissistic CEO could look something like this: purchasing more assets for a company, spending more on research and development, making big deals with partnerships even if the recent performance was poor. Overall, leading an organisation with a volatile performance – they either have huge successes or massive failures. This makes sense since a narcissist must back themselves and believe in their opinions above others.

In a recent study with 300 school pupils that were identified as narcissists, it was found that they are more likely to be successful in an exam and they demonstrated what appeared as heightened intelligence. The explanation behind this discovery was not that these children were actually smarter, but that they were more confident in their answers and showed more resilience than other children did. On top of this, the charming qualities of a narcissist can be what seals the deal in building successful networks. 

The hidden message in these findings is that believing in ourselves, showing resilience and moving with determination could be the ticket to the top of the employment ladder.

Of course, there have been many successful role models who are not narcissists, and perhaps these are the people who we should really be looking up to. An example that stands out to me is Yvon Chouinard, the billionaire Patagonia founder who gave away the company to raise money for environmental fundraising. Despite his success, Chouinard wasn’t blinded by fame or money, and he stayed true to his values. Perhaps this is the most important lesson we have come across so far.

If you’re struggling with a narcissistic boss, maintain boundaries. Don’t take their critique personally and see if you can learn anything from them with an open mind. Whether its resilience, charm or an elite level of networking skills, combined with a drop of Yvon Chouinard’s kindness, I think we have a good business deal on our hands. 

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