When you think of a narcissist, you picture someone who is incredibly selfish, arrogant, and attention-seeking. So being around such an individual must make life miserable. Maybe you have a relative who insists on being the center of attention at every family event. Even if the event is in honor of someone else, this person somehow aims to become the protagonist. At a reception to honor a beloved aunt’s birthday, this person gets up and gives a five-minute speech that is not about the aunt but about the speaker. Meanwhile, on other occasions, this individual’s lack of empathy for you and everyone else contributes to a prolonged tense relationship.
New research on narcissism in the workplace by Hannah Helfrich from the University of Hohenheim (Germany) and Eric Dietl from Loughborough University (UK) (2019) investigates the question of whether narcissism always has to be so toxic. Can people who are constantly seeking attention and self-advancement somehow be transformed into individuals who make a positive difference to their surroundings? Helfrich and Dietl believe that the answer may be “yes” if we look at narcissism in terms of its facets.
Looking at narcissism, not from a pathological perspective but from a motivational perspective, researchers in Germany and the United Kingdom distinguish between admiration and rivalry within the narcissism construct. As they note, “On the one hand, narcissists are highly motivated to pursue desired outcomes and their self-esteem can provide them with tremendous energy… On the other hand, narcissists’ drive to protect themselves from losing their grandeur, which often leads to the devaluation of others, can hinder their progress and turn people off” (p. 259). Thus, the admiration factor helps narcissists advance the cause of whatever group they are a part of. The rivalry factor means that they try their best to “put out” the anger of others in the group. From this perspective, a speech by that attention-grabbing relative might help everyone feel better about your aunt, but it might also annoy everyone else who wants to make celebratory remarks of their own.
Helfrich and Dietl’s study of employees and their bosses was guided by two perspectives. Self-determination theory (SDT) is a motivational perspective that suggests that feeling in control gives you the greatest satisfaction, especially in the workplace. In the workplace context, researchers suggest that having this type of intrinsic motivation can lead to employees feeling empowered and able to exercise their own voice. A second perspective, the narcissistic admiration and rivalry (NARC) concept, distinguishes between these two aspects of narcissism. However, leaders also have their own theories about what they want in their employees. The implicit followership theory of leaders suggests that “perceptions, evaluations, and actions [of the leader]…represent one of the most powerful contextual factors influencing processes in the workplace” (p. 260). Again, looking at situations outside the workplace, the same processes can operate within a social group. The “leaders” of the family at a celebratory event might be delighted that this relative has paid such an extended, if not selfish, tribute to your aunt. The admiration factor trumps the competition, and everything will run smoother as a result.
Digging deeper, Helfrich and Dietl describe narcissistic admiration in terms of three interrelated domains. People who seek admiration strive to appear unique, engage in grandiose fantasies, and rely heavily on being attractive. In contrast, narcissistic competition involves striving to be better than others while simultaneously devaluing themselves, and pursuing their goals of superiority in an aggressive manner—in other words, holding their own to get to the top. In the process, those high in narcissistic competition behave in hostile and insensitive ways that in turn lead to others rejecting and criticizing them. This second aspect of narcissism can thus be viewed as largely self-defeating. When these aspects of narcissism intersect with motivation, the authors note, those high in admiration are found to exhibit self-confident and dominant behaviors that allow them to feel empowered. Successful leaders will in turn become successful, admired, and praised by others, and their sense of grandeur will be greater. Those who rank high on the competitive dimension will become less empowered, feeling threatened by the success of others, having low self-esteem, and feeling ashamed of their failures. Furthermore, having a voice allows people to feel more engaged in their work, and they will have better relationships with their leaders. Workers’ intrinsic motivation will be further enhanced when leaders support their autonomy, allowing them to flourish on their own.
Helfrich and Dietl tested these complex processes in a sample of German employees and their leaders across a wide range of organizations. The sample of 268 leader-employee pairs completed questionnaires relevant to their own roles, in which employees rated themselves on the narcissistic factor. Their leaders rated their employees on the dimensions of industry and citizenship (e.g., being a team player). Employees also rated the extent to which their leaders allowed them to develop as individuals for their own good, as well as their feeling of safety in expressing themselves around their leaders.
Using statistical modeling to tease apart the associations between these variables, the authors were able to develop a model in which narcissistic admiration positively predicted employee empowerment and voice, and rivalry negatively predicted both outcomes. However, when leaders held positive views of employee empowerment, the negative effect of rivalry was somewhat reduced. Thus, a good employee can be high in narcissism as long as this narcissism is self-focused and not aimed at belittling others. Even if an individual is high in narcissistic rivalry, this can be somewhat offset by a leader who is able to see beyond these negative behaviors. As the authors note, their study was not able to control for all potential influences, and was conducted entirely in German organizations. Additionally, no data on actual employee performance was provided, and demographic factors such as gender, age, or education were not taken into account. The study was only conducted at one point in time, and although the statistical modeling was appropriately done, the results might have been more informative if the subjects had been followed over time.
However, the findings suggest a new way in which narcissism may not be so bad in the workplace, and perhaps even beyond that, in family gatherings or other social settings. People who seek attention by hogging the spotlight but who don’t try to outdo everyone else in the process may have some pretty good qualities. You might even be surprised when, during a long speech to your aunt, this person says nice things about you and other relatives. The key to this is that attention is not gained by stepping on other people’s feet. Who knows? Next time, you might ask this person to do the honors. The same qualities that contribute to the narcissistic need for admiration may also prove instrumental in making the event a success. In short, knowing the difference between the two forms of narcissism may help make your relationship with the admiration-seeking person more fulfilling than you realize.
