Leaders such as Jack Welch and George Soros are examples of productive narcissists. They are gifted and creative strategists who see the big picture and find meaning in the risky challenge of changing the world and leaving behind a legacy.
#1 Adolf Hitler
He is famously known for his role in World War II and the Holocaust. Three examples suggesting that Hitler exhibited narcissistic traits are: Grandiose self-image: Hitler had an inflated sense of self-importance and believed in his own superiority.
Using a score of 4 as a cutoff for moderate-to-high narcissism, this suggests that upwards of 18 percent of CEOs might be considered narcissists (see Exhibit 3). By comparison, some experts estimate that 5 percent of the U.S. population is narcissistic.
The great but egoistic leaders can rise in the ranks, but that's not the end of their journey. There's good evidence to suggest that high-power executives show greater amounts of narcissism. In addition, narcissistic leaders climb the corporate ladder quicker than their more socially attuned counterparts.
Why are such leaders more likely to rise to the top? One study suggests that despite being perceived as arrogant, narcissistic individuals radiate “an image of a prototypically effective leader.” Narcissistic leaders know how to draw attention toward themselves. They enjoy the visibility.
Cerebral narcissists, also known as intellectual narcissists, are individuals who try to fulfill their narcissistic supply through their perceived intelligence. While intellectual narcissists are generally smart, they may present as if they are more educated than they really are.
It's tough to work with a narcissist, but it can be even tougher watching them get ahead at work as a result of their narcissistic behavior. However, it's common for narcissists to succeed in the workplace. Research shows narcissists tend to get paid more and may be more likely to get promoted to leadership positions.
Abstract. Research indicates that grandiose narcissism is associated positively with self-assessed intelligence (SAI). Furthermore, the direction of possible causation is considered to flow from narcissism to SAI.
First, just as the authors had projected prior to the experiment, grandiose narcissists reliably ranked themselves as being more intelligent than others, even though this did not translate to higher marks on the intellect exams.
They like people who are strong
"Narcissists are drawn to those who can boost their own self-esteem and validate their sense of importance," Wasser told Insider. "Being associated with someone who is successful or admired can make the narcissist feel more important by proxy."
Narcissism is tied closely to leadership emergence, as narcissists tend to initially be confident, charismatic, and charming. Leadership is a natural goal for narcissists because it feeds their motivational goals of status, power, and attention.
Weaknesses of a narcissist: the fear of being alone
As well as being one of the greatest weaknesses of a narcissist, loneliness is also their greatest fear. That's because, in order to be someone, a narcissist needs victims. They're like predators looking for prey to feed on.
Narcissists might have "grandiose" delusions about their own importance and an absence of "shame" - but psychologists say they are also likely to be happier than most people.
Narcissists' Greatest Fear
To narcissists, ordinary people (i.e., nearly everybody around them) aren't worthy of attention, so being ordinary would leave them unworthy of the spotlight and left to suffocate. Narcissists also need to feel special and superior to others.
Grandiose sense of self-importance
Grandiosity is the defining characteristic of narcissism. More than just arrogance or vanity, grandiosity is an unrealistic sense of superiority. Narcissists believe they are unique or “special” and can only be understood by other special people.
One particular type of toxic narcissist is the psychopathic narcissist, who will embody some of the unstable, aggressive qualities of psychopathy. This person will often be violent and show no remorse for their behavior.
Perhaps it is not surprising, but researchers found that narcissists tend be more physically attractive than average.
Narcissists can sometimes be helpful and caring. However, more often than not, they only pretend to have these qualities. Moreover, even when they act giving and helping, they are not motivated by empathy because they severely lack it, and as a result, their help is often not very productive.
Narcissists are not into growing old gracefully — they fight against it with everything they've got. Any lessons or wisdom that might be gained from the aging process is lost on the narcissist. Older narcissists tend to act as if they were children, complete with tantrums when they don't get their way.
Narcissists have high self-esteem. But unlike individuals with a secure sense of high self-esteem, narcissists have what researchers call “fragile high self-esteem“. It is a form of high self-esteem dependent on external validation and self-deception.
A narcissist views themself as better, more special, and more deserving than others. They tend to have a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which is marked by grandiose thinking, an inflated ego, lack of empathy, and a need to be admired by all.
A substantial body of research has documented that grandiose narcissists are characterized by high self-esteem, a sense of personal superiority and entitlement, overconfidence, a willingness to exploit others for self-gain, and hostility and aggression when challenged.
Lowers Anxiety and Risk for Depression
People with healthy narcissistic traits have higher self-esteem, which can lower stress levels and create a baseline of general happiness. “They are better able to impress people favorably because of a higher self-regard,” says Whitbourne.
The root of the disorder is actually a strict resistance to feeling vulnerable with anyone at any time. Here's a lay description of how it works: The narcissist does not truly trust others in close relationships.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that narcissists can and do love—but their love may never be the same as a healthy, unconditional bond. The best way to know if a narcissist loves you is by looking at their behavior over time rather than just relying on words or expressions of affection.