Do you have a difficult, controlling, and manipulative boss? Does he or she love himself and make everything revolve around him or her?
Then your boss might be a narcissist!
This isn’t surprising. Many bosses are narcissists. Narcissists are attracted to power and control, so they are naturally drawn to leadership positions.
Check out these 10 signs to see if your boss is a narcissist…
Narcissistic Bosses Don’t Admit Their Mistakes
A narcissistic boss rarely admits their mistakes. Narcissists like to create the illusion of perfection. Therefore, they rarely admit their mistakes.
They often believe that admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness, so they try to hide it as much as they can.
Related : How To Cope With Narcissists At Work
This puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on them. Sometimes it’s easier to admit a mistake and move on. But they often don’t realize it.
Narcissistic Managers “Swap the Blame”
To hide their mistakes, narcissistic managers often shift blame onto others, even when it’s obvious.
They distort the facts, use twisted logic, and place someone else in the line of fire.
Narcissists often have a specific scapegoat they hold responsible for everything. They typically target quieter, more conscientious employees who don’t argue.
Narcissistic Managers Order It
Rather than “asking,” narcissists prefer to boss others around and shout orders. Narcissistic managers prefer to demonstrate their power and show who’s in charge.
They don’t care much about creating a comfortable work environment; they focus more on establishing who’s in charge or otherwise meeting their own needs.
Narcissistic bosses typically don’t see themselves as facilitators; they see themselves as in charge and superior.
Indirect Comments
Narcissistic bosses love to make indirect criticisms to let you know where you stand. If you encounter any criticism, they often claim they were “just joking.” They may also accuse you of being “too sensitive.”
It’s often a good idea to ignore these comments and pretend they weren’t said. Narcissists often repeat these comments in the future if they know they affect you.
Always Finding Faults
Narcissistic bosses are less concerned with their employees’ good performance and more concerned with finding fault.
They love it when they can criticize someone. Then they belittle them to boost their morale. It’s not about the work, it’s about excelling.
Reprimanding in Front of the Entire Team
Narcissistic bosses don’t resort to silence. They often wait until everyone is present before blaming.
Narcissists like to demonstrate their power in front of as many people as possible. This reinforces their illusions of superiority. They don’t care much about your feelings or the morale of your employees.
Paperwork Overemphasis
Narcissistic managers often place an excessive emphasis on the accuracy of paperwork, even at the expense of the work itself.
They are usually more concerned with proving their competence at their job than actually excelling at it.
Paperwork is often used to create the illusion that they excel at their job, even when things go wrong.
Take Credit for Everything
Narcissistic managers don’t give themselves credit where it’s due. Everything good is their fault. They enjoy success with pleasure, even if it’s not their fault.
But everything bad is someone else’s fault. They are quick to blame others. They like to have the best of both worlds!
Narcissistic Bosses Have “Flying Monkeys”
Narcissistic bosses often befriend one or two employees to act as spies. They act as their eyes and ears. They often cover for each other.
Related : Why Narcissists Disappear Then Reappear
They feed their flying monkeys some crumbs as compensation. But the narcissistic manager will happily abandon them when needed.
They Are Hierarchical
Narcissistic managers subjugate those above them in the company hierarchy, but look down on those below them. They don’t have a sense that “all men are equal.”
You’ll often see them treat people very differently, depending on their position within the company. Yes, we all do this to some extent. But narcissists take it to an extreme.
Conclusion
If you have a narcissistic manager, there’s not much you can do. Narcissists rarely change their behavior.
If someone above them reprimands them, they may change. But only temporarily. They’ll maintain their best behavior for a while, but then they usually revert to their narcissistic behavior. That’s their nature.
If you’re having problems with a narcissistic manager, it’s a good idea to look for work elsewhere. Narcissistic bosses can harm your mental health and even negatively impact your physical health.
They rob you of your self-confidence and self-esteem, leaving you anxious and depressed. Either leave them before it’s too late, or learn how to deal with them better. Dealing with them will never be easy, but you can improve things by learning more about them.
