Narcissistic leadership is the act of leadership characterized by self-centeredness. These kinds of leaders exhibit an inflated sense of one’s importance and an extreme need for praise and power. Moreover, narcissistic leaders are arrogant, dominant and aggressive, prioritizing their own interest instead of the organization’s.
While narcissistic leaders bring innovation by looking ahead and creating bold and comprehensive visions, they produce a toxic work environment which brings about fear, low morale, and a marked turnover rate. Organizations need to implement controls or strategies to curb negative impacts of such leadership.
Organizations should consider the following when evaluating narcissistic leaders:
Organizations can do the following to manage narcissistic leaders effectively:
Narcissistic leaders are usually overconfident, lacking empathy, sensitive to criticism, and surround themselves with “yes-men.” Their needs usually outweigh the demands of their teams or organizations.
Yes, narcissistic leaders are certainly helpful in the time of crisis or when bold vision and risk-taking is required. However, the effectiveness, if any, of such a leader is short-lived as it doesn’t last long. They fail to develop sustainable relationships with the team and cannot last for long term.
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