Fun with Photo Booth, a photo by moriza on Flickr.
Sometimes the competitive nature of the workplace brings out
the worst in us—a kind of tunnel vision where we forget to see the divinity
present in our coworkers or care little about their opinions or ideas.
Narcissistic traits and the inability to listen, to
collaborate or to care about others can have a damaging effect on your career. But
there are productive aspects to career narcissism, too.
People with these traits usually become CEOs and
leaders—they are risk takers and creative visionaries. They have the
unflappable ability to take the emotion out of abandoning less-than-perfect
projects and they can execute layoffs with little regret.
Narcissists can be great teachers. The fruits of
their labor are realized when they see underlings spread their gospel.
Just don’t mistake teaching for mentoring. Narcissists love to be teachers but
they will not groom others for success easily. That’s because there is unfortunately
little in it for them when others surpass their own success.
Once a person admits to a few narcissistic tendencies, they can
still manage themselves well in the workplace and avoid getting fired.
They should pick a field where narcissistic traits are valued.
The sales field is the most accepted vocation for career narcissists. Other
areas where they can be rewarded for risk-taking and ambition: as an artist or
entrepreneur. I know what you’re thinking--sales and business leaders should be good listeners and empathizers
to their client needs. But narcissists have historically been financially
rewarded in these areas, in spite of themselves.
In a traditional job setting, narcissists should partner with at least one
coworker to ground them. This person will remind them when they are breaking
the rules or when they have gone too far. It’s not easy for this saint to act as
their shock absorber—but an interest in doing what’s right for the sake of
the company while they recognize the narcissist's creative genius must be really important
to them.
If the narcissist is a manager, s/he should hire subordinates that are okay
with hitching to their star without questioning too much. Successful,
narcissistic leaders should hire folks who take direction well and willingly
drink the company Koolaid. They should be happy to share the manager's mindset and to
execute what they have created.
Most business experts will tell you that the sharing of
information and the exchange of ideas in the workplace is the ideal. With a
narcissistic leader is in their midst, subordinates who want their ideas heard
are probably better suited to a more democratic organization.
