A Simple Way To Discover If You Are a Narcissist

What Does Being A Narcissist Mean For Leadership?

In the introduction to an academic paper the authors say, "Some individuals think they are great and special people who should be admired and respected by others." They go on to say that this particular personality, "… is characterized by inflated views of the self, grandiosity, self-focus, vanity, and self-importance."

As I continued reading it struck me that this could well describe many of the people who make it to the higher echelons of leadership in most organizations, people who are admired and are successful.

While narcissism can be a clinical disorder, the authors go on to say, "however, it is also widely studied as a personality trait in non-clinical populations."

So How Do I Discover If I Am A Narcissist?

Easy! Just answer one simple question.

“To what extent do you agree with this statement: I am a narcissist. (Note: The word ‘narcissist’ means egotistical, self-focused, and vain.).” 

Brad Bushman, a coauthor on the paper and a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, in quoted in the LA Times saying "Narcissists have no problem admitting they are narcissists. They think they deserve special treatment and they don’t try to hide that from others."

So What If I Am A Narcissist?

Well that all depends on: 

1. The kind of organization you want to build
2. The kind of leadership you want to provide
3. The kind of culture you want to model and nurture
4. The kind of relationships you want to have
5. And...

Some Things To Know

About people who score high on the PLOS ONE Narcissist Scale:

1. They have lower empathy than people who are not narcissists
2. They have less committed to relationships and will end them more easily – a possible clue to the ease with which some executives let people go in a downsizing. 
3. They are more likely to want individual rewards not team or company-based ones. 
4. They are more likely to believe that are worth more than colleagues and should therefore be compensated more favorably and should be given special treatment. 
5. They tend to be much more combative, and more aggression in meeting, and day-to-day interactions. 
6. They have no problem expressing the point of view – mostly as if speaking the truth.
7. …

Now Take The Test

Remember the question: 

“To what extent do you agree with this statement: I am a narcissist. (Note: The word ‘narcissist’ means egotistical, self-focused, and vain.).” 

Here is the test.

Does Your Score Impact Your Leadership?

Share your insights…