Previously, much of leadership research was focused on a transactional approach in which leaders utilize reward and punishment to motivate their followers to complete tasks. Within the last 50 years, we’ve seen a major shift in focus to how charismatic leader behavior results in outcomes such as follower emotional attachment and commitment in relation to the leader, mission, and organization. When followers are extremely committed to the vision instilled in them by their leader, they go so far as to make significant personal sacrifices to support the vision. I question whether this view of leadership has made us vulnerable to idealizing narcissistic leaders, and if so, whether this is advantageous for both followers and the organization.
You’ve likely heard the word “charisma” associated with Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro, but you’ve probably also heard it associated with Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. While the consequences of the actions these leaders made differ greatly, the process through which they produce followers aligned so closely with their mission that they would sacrifice their own and others’ well-being for it may be similar. Research suggests that we’re more likely to turn to charismatic leaders in times of crisis. When we seek to understand how charismatic leaders create commitment and trust within their followers, it comes down to emotions. Recent research by Sy and colleagues has suggested that charismatic leaders utilize emotional manipulation to drive the perceptions and behavior of their followers. While they may use emotions like awe, admiration, gratitude, and compassion to encourage their followers to engage in helping or role model behavior, it’s also suggested that they use negative emotions to influence their followers. For instance, they may use their social skills to instill emotions like anger, contempt, and disgust to cause their followers to condemn a particular target. They also may use shame, embarrassment, and guilt to create self-consciousness within their followers to encourage them to apologize or withdraw in times of conflict.
With narcissism being heavily discussed in the popular press as of late, especially regarding personal relationships, the public is gaining an understanding of manipulative behaviors such as gaslighting and love-bombing. The emotional manipulation tactics used by narcissists closely mirror the description of how charismatic leaders utilize emotions to influence their followers. For instance, many narcissists use tactics to make those they are in close relationships with feel shame or guilt to gain control over them. While the impacts of a close personal relationship with a narcissist are often negative and include PTSD and other mental health issues, is having a narcissistic leader at work necessarily a bad thing? And, if so, why are these types of leaders often widely celebrated?
Employees of creative visionaries, such as Steve Jobs, have often later come out with claims of narcissistic abuse at the hands of their leader. However, one cannot deny the success of Apple under Jobs and those like him. In fact, research supports that moderate levels of narcissism may be beneficial to leader effectiveness. Narcissists tend to be authoritative and take a dominant approach when making decisions, which can be advantageous for both innovation and ambiguous situations. Traits of narcissists, such as egotism and high self-esteem, are also socially desirable traits for leaders. This could explain why individuals with narcissistic traits often find themselves elected to high-powered positions. However, even though aspects of narcissism may be socially desirable and even contribute to success, the lasting effects on both followers and the organization may not be as positive.
Narcissists are more likely to act in ways that benefit themselves, even at the detriment to the goals of the organization. They score low in integrity and often engage in counterproductive work behaviors, such as stealing resources from the organization or lying to achieve a higher status. While much has been published on the deleterious effects of narcissism on close personal relationships, research is lacking on how having a narcissistic supervisor affects the mental health of subordinates. Given the hostility, arrogance, and self-serving biases inherent in highly narcissistic people, it stands to reason that being under the control of an individual with these qualities over long periods can have negative effects on mental health. These effects have been greatly understated in scientific research and not considered in our idealization of charismatic (and often narcissistic) leaders.
