With examples like Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak in the news, it’s no surprise that research shows that many leaders are narcissists. Narcissists are adept at rising to positions of power and authority (though they are likely to become even more narcissistic once they’re in power). What’s more, some of these narcissists are effective leaders—some very effective (and evil). Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, the list goes on. But are all narcissistic leaders evil and destructive?
Leadership scholars Manfred Kets de Vries and Michael Maccoby argue that there are “productive narcissists,” in government and business. These productive narcissists are self-confident, assertive, and driven to achieve. The problem, they argue, is keeping these narcissists in check, to prevent them from slipping into the dark side.
Maccoby suggests that the problem with narcissistic leaders is “managing” them (because in many cases, like appointed business leaders, we get stuck with them). Narcissistic leaders are relentless in their pursuit of goals, but they can also be cruel, and care little about collateral damage. They lack empathy, are sensitive to criticism, are selfish, and believe that everyone should think the same way they do. Maccoby suggests that many narcissistic leaders are effective and productive because they have a trusted “sidekick” to help manage and balance them. He cites Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer at Microsoft; Larry Ellison and COO Ray Lane at Oracle as examples of narcissistic leaders and their “sidekicks.” [Maccoby also believes that narcissistic leaders need treatment and can benefit from executive coaches.] While some narcissists may have antisocial personality disorder—which may explain some of the truly evil leaders throughout history—narcissistic leaders are more likely to become destructive as they gain power. Leadership ethics expert Terry Price suggests that leaders may engage in unethical behavior as they gain power simply because they can do it and get away with it. They begin to believe that the ethical rules that apply to others don’t really apply to them, and they ignore the collateral damage that occurs in their zealous pursuit of their goals (“the ends justify the means”).
More recently, psychologists Rob Kaiser and Robert Hogan have suggested that the way to deal with potentially narcissistic and destructive leaders, at least in the business world, is through selection—identifying these individuals early, and not allowing them to rise to positions of power and authority.
