Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition where people have a deep need to be admired and an inflated sense of their own significance. They disregard others’ feelings and believe they’re superior to them. According to 2023 research data, 0.5% – 5% of all people in the US have this disorder. It is more prevalent in men: 50% – 75% of document cases affect males.
Identifying a narcissist
The veneer of confidence is ultra-thin. Beneath it lies fragile self-esteem. A narcissistic employee is frustrating and annoying at best and a major risk to your business at worst. Most narcissists are extremely conceited and love talking about their achievements incessantly. They show little interest and empathy toward others. Men lack empathy more often than women (83% vs. 72%). When another coworker starts talking about themselves, the narcissist quickly usurps the attention again. Apart from hijacking conversations, some narcissists tend to drop names and statuses. They like to remind people they went to a prestigious school, hold an elite degree, mingle with VIPs, are part of exclusive groups, received glowing praise from someone, or are working on a high-profile project.
The disorder is more prevalent in certain groups. 20% of people in the military, 6% of forensic analysts, and 17% of first-year medical students exhibit narcissistic traits.
A narcissist will do anything to look important. For example, they might claim they know how to lead a team better than the manager. They dominate meetings, phone conferences, presentations, and email discussions. They will take these opportunities to put their coworkers down and disrupt the workplace environment.
Keeping your workplace safe from a narcissist
Narcissists share the conviction that they are special and entitled and cannot demonstrate empathy. 82% of narcissists think they are unique or special. Around 80% have a sense of entitlement, and the same percentage show a lack of empathy. They can destroy your business from within by provoking negative emotions and spreading rumors. They do this to feel powerful, get attention, and make other employees feel insecure. When they perceive inattentiveness, they get distraught. They might throw a tantrum if someone expresses disagreement with them. Narcissistic bosses are very capable of creating mass employee exodus and turnover. They are very adept at driving employees away from their department or their company (if they have ever managed to make one work.) They cannot see how their attitude, actions, and behaviors are connected to the turnover and wonder why so many people leave. Their defense mechanisms, especially the very primitive one of denial, are so strong that nothing is ever their fault. Instead, they come up with all kinds of imaginary reasons why staff members are leaving. They start shifting the blame, and everything and everyone else is at fault.
When the narcissist must explain employee exodus to his bosses, he can make very sound and logical excuses. His explanations are very rational, to the point where he can fool anyone, especially himself. Narcissists wreak further havoc on an organization by being very adept at getting promoted. A study conducted in the Netherlands among 93 managers and their employees found managers considered staff members who scored higher on a narcissism scale more eligible for promotion. A further study was conducted to clarify the reasons for this. A group of 85 managers rated their staff’s promotability, whereby the staff completed measures of sense of power, false empathy, and self-promotion. Narcissistic employees were more likely to make their achievements known to their manager, feign interest in the manager’s problems, and feel they controlled work-related decisions. Employees with higher scores on these measures were more likely to be promoted.
Bottom line
A narcissist can destroy a business by undermining team morale, manipulating and exploiting coworkers, and making reckless, impulsive decisions. A narcissistic leader can create a culture of distrust and fear, stifling collaboration and communication between employees. Narcissists refuse to be held accountable for failures or mistakes, disseminating a lack of accountability within a small business. Small businesses need strong leaders and healthy workplace culture to keep narcissistic behavior at bay.