Key points

People high in narcissism seem to be very successful in many areas of life, including work—for example, they get promoted quickly.
The promotability of narcissistic employees may be due to their skills in impression management, especially displays of power.
Using the same techniques that narcissists use, such as showing more power, may help non-narcissistic employees get the promotions they deserve.

Narcissism is a personality trait associated with grandiosity, superiority, uniqueness, envy, vanity, a sense of entitlement, exploitation, exhibitionism, lack of empathy, self-absorption, and self-admiration. People high in narcissism are often preoccupied with power and status. For example, narcissistic employees are preoccupied with power and status in the workplace, and many of them succeed in rising to senior positions in organizations—and quickly.

In a recent study by Niveka and Sedikides, published in the August 2021 issue of the Journal of Personality, they examine the mechanisms that might explain why narcissistic employees (relative to others) are more likely to be promoted at work.

Power displays or impression management?

Before examining the recent research, here’s some background:

Let’s say an employee with little power decides to act with great power (e.g., take more risks at work or act confidently and forcefully). These displays of power at work can serve as signals. They might indicate that the person is, for example, competent, knows how to acquire and exercise power, is a natural leader, and/or has the potential to succeed at a higher position in the organizational hierarchy. Such displays of power are one way to get promoted.

Another way to get promoted is through impression management—using tactics such as self-promotion (e.g., emphasizing excellent performance and accomplishments) and flattery (e.g., flattering, doing favors, being too nice). Of course, such impression management tactics require social skills and emotional intelligence. Otherwise, supervisors are likely to see through the act and feel manipulated.

Previous research suggests that people with Dark Triad personality traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) are very adept at impression management. Narcissists, in particular, tend to be socially aware (i.e., sensitive to rank and status). They are good at managing impressions and at identifying with and persuading high-status individuals.

So, which of these two mechanisms explains why employees with narcissistic personality disorder or narcissistic tendencies are more likely than others to climb the career ladder and emerge as leaders? To answer this question, let’s review the research conducted by Sedikides and Niveka.

Investigating Promotability and Narcissistic Personality

The first two studies investigated the relationship between promotability and narcissistic personality. The third was an experiment on the causal relationship between personal feelings of power and the likelihood of getting promoted.

Study 1

Sample: 166 employees (average age 40; 72 percent women) and 93 supervisors (average age 44; 52 percent women).

Measures: Employees’ level of narcissism was measured using the 40-item Narcissistic Personality Test (e.g., “I am an extraordinary person”). Employees’ promotability was assessed using “This employee has a good chance of climbing the organizational ladder” and “I would recommend this employee for promotion.”

Study 2

Sample: 128 employees (mean age 35; 60% women) and 85 supervisors (mean age 38; 69% men).

Measures: The 16-item Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-16) was administered. The promotional potential was measured as described previously. Self-promotion was assessed by asking employees to rate the frequency of behaviors such as “making a positive event for which you are responsible seem greater than it is.” Ingratiation was assessed using six items (e.g., “take time to listen to your supervisor’s problems even if you are not interested in them”). Feelings of power were assessed using an 8-item power scale (e.g., “In my team, I believe I have a lot of power”).

Study 3

Sample: 181 supervisors (mean age 38; 55% women).

Method: Participants were described as a narcissistic employee and his or her responses to a questionnaire (corresponding to high or low power). Participants were asked to imagine that they were managers who, based on the information provided, needed to make recommendations for promotion.

Why Narcissists Get Promoted

Results showed:

Both self-promotional behaviors and personal sense of power were associated with employee narcissism. However, there was greater support for the power projection hypothesis (perceiving oneself as powerful and exercising power) than for the impression management hypothesis (using self-promotional tactics and skills).

The results of the third investigation, in which power projection was manipulated, indicated that narcissistic employees who displayed a high (versus low) personal sense of power were more likely to be promoted.

As the authors note, these results are consistent with “implicit leadership theory,” which suggests that individuals who display behaviors typical of leadership (such as ambition and mental toughness) are more likely to be viewed as leaders. The data are also consistent with “leadership identity theory.” This theory claims that “leadership develops through a series of demanding and giving behaviors in which an individual asserts himself or herself as either a leader or a follower in the context of social interactions.”

How to Get a Promotion at Work

In general, promotability assessments are more difficult to conduct than many other types of assessments (such as performance appraisals). Why? Because promotability assessments rely less on tangible information about an employee’s success on a particular project and more on intangible qualities, such as signals of future potential. These signals, of course, include displays of power, something that narcissists tend to know how to do very well.

So readers who want to get promoted might consider applying the above findings to their situation. This means acting more forcefully, confidently, and authoritatively at work.

Of course, this advice doesn’t apply to all workplaces because some workplaces value collaborative, friendly, and helpful behaviors that demonstrate power. In these environments, a more social person (even a communal narcissist) might be more successful.

However, many companies place a greater value on agency than commonality; thus, they reward the display of power, intelligence, and competence. So, to get promoted in these work environments, you might need to look beyond your current job tasks and imagine that you are leading your team (or at least working with, rather than for, the current leader); think about how you, as a future leader, might do things differently (for example, how you might motivate employees or assign tasks).