How to spot a narcissistic boss? Harvard professor shares 3 tips: ‘Take credit for good things and deflect blame’
The Harvard professor shared three tips to identify a narcissitic boss at the workplace.
Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor who researches psychological safety in the workplace, shared three tips to spot a narcissistic boss. She argues that when someone with narcissistic tendencies gets managerial authority, they create a toxic work environment.
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“The essence of being a narcissist is that you’re about yourself, you’re for yourself, and you’re less others-oriented. People who are in a position with a desire to lead others, they need to be others-oriented. That starts with self-awareness,” she told CNBC Make It.
She further shared key indicators that can help people identify a narcissistic boss.
The first indicator is that narcissistic people take all the credit for good things and deflect blame for things that don’t go well. “You notice they might be thanking the team but not in a specific way, and it doesn’t take long for them to realise that they are all about themselves,” Edmonson says.
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Another key point is that they don’t communicate well. They are trapped in the idea that only their thoughts are important and listening to others is burdensome to them.
“It’s natural that they should be doing a lot of explaining and teaching and clarifying goals, but it’s unhealthy and a sign of narcissism if they are doing all the talking, which comes at the expense of listening,” Edmondson says.
She adds, “They do not appear to be listening and learning. Their thinking isn’t visibly being altered by what others are saying.”
The last tip she shared is that they don’t really praise others. “If someone on your team is doing great work, it seems natural to me to be appreciative. If I praise you, it makes me look good and, if I’m your boss, it makes me look even better. Narcissists don’t see it this way. It’s a lost opportunity,” she further explains.
