Narcissists frequently seek out leadership roles and are picked for them by others. They achieve this by acting in their interests and endangering the requirements and interests of others. Although there are theoretical reasons why narcissism and leadership are related, it is still being determined if narcissism in leaders is beneficial or harmful for organizations and their constituents. There are two aspects of narcissism: bright and dark. Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and selfishness, known as the “dark triad of personality,” are among the theories on the shadow side of organizations that have received the most attention in recent years. Although those who exhibit these qualities typically are not friendly in social situations, they are not interchangeable. A lack of empathy and manipulative behavior characterizes Machiavellianism. Combining thrill-seeking with a lack of regret is psychopathy.
However, the urge for self-affirmation is what narcissism is most motivated by. The narcissist’s persistent desire for ongoing external self-assertion seems driven by their grandiose yet fragile self-image. This is the paradox of narcissism: to sustain solid social ties over time, narcissists must have positive relationships with their surroundings but have little concern for other people. In other words, narcissists may not have malicious intent. However, as long as their demands for self-affirmation and outside approval are satisfied, they are unaware of the well-being of others.
I have encountered a situation where I was encouraged to violate work and professional ethics. When my manager received a letter from his superiors about the necessary reduction in staff, he did not know what to do. The manager asked me to lie in my employee mailing list so that people would not suspect that the layoffs were coming soon. He wanted employees to describe what they didn’t like about their co-workers, and then the manager wanted to fire someone whom the majority of the team would be against them. Moreover, he was going to fire this person not because of a staff reduction but to indicate why he was in conflict at the workplace. He thought that firing an unpopular person would get the team’s approval. It was selfish and cruel of him, but more than that, unethical. I refused this and contacted the company’s ethics department regarding this incident. I had no other choice because, as a junior manager, I will always choose the team and practical work over the personal fears and selfishness of the authorities.