Narcissists Tend to Become Leaders

[defendandprotect]

Narcissists Tend to Become Leaders LiveScience Staff

LiveScience.com
Tue Oct 7, 4:56 PM ET

Narcissists like to be in charge, so it stands to reason that a new study shows individuals who are overconfident about their abilities are most likely to step in as leaders, be they politicians or power brokers.

However, their initiative doesn't mean they are the best leaders. The study also found narcissists don't outperform others in leadership roles.


Narcissists tend to be egotistical types who exaggerate their talents and abilities, and lack empathy for others. The researchers stress that narcissism is not the same as high self-esteem.


"A person with high self-esteem is confident and charming, but they also have a caring component and they want to develop intimacy with others," said lead researcher Amy Brunell, a psychologist at Ohio State University at Newark. "Narcissists have an inflated view of their talents and abilities and are all about themselves. They don't care as much about others."


She added, "It's not surprising that narcissists become leaders. They like power, they are egotistical, and they are usually charming and extraverted. But the problem is, they don't necessarily make better leaders."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/narcissiststendtobecomeleaders

[Bicoastal]

1. Lucky thing Barack has Michelle around to keep him grounded.

[defendandprotect]

2. Yes ....I don't see the Obamas as a serious problem in this regard . . .

However, I think we have to recognize that as greed and wealth took over

our nation -- monied interests -- that the self-sacrificing style of leader

has all but disappeared. I think that has also been true in Congress as

salaries have increased -- and its true, IMO, in every field ....

medicine, sadly, as well.

The nation's value yardstick has been too long based on the dollar bill.

And, I think narcissists wouldn't be interested in working simply for the

privilege of it.

[defendandprotect]

3. dupe

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Humility + politician = oxymoron Much to our grief.

[Trillo]

5. So they're implying that a component of narcissism is lying?

Brunell does hedge though, saying that not all troubles in Washington and Wall Street can be blamed on narcissists, and of course, you can't boil everything down to personalities.

Oh, I get it, lying is a different thing all together, no relationship to those who rise at all. Uh huh.

[cobalt1999]

6. Douglas Adams nailed that topic years ago

"It is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it... anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."

[codjh9]

11. I actually came up with the same statement years ago regarding managers in the profession

I was in. It's amazing how common this problem/situation is.

[dysfunctional press]

7. a better way to phrase it would be: Leaders tend to be narcissists...

there are too many narcissists and too few leadership positions for all or most of them to become leaders.

[riverdeep]

8. From Bertrand Russell:

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

[polichick]

9. The problem is not in the leaders, but the followers...

People need to be much wiser about spotting narcissists and sociopaths, and not fall under their spell. It's also a matter of values ~ WHY do so many Americans admire greedy, selfish blowhards?

[EFerrari]

10. But all leaders are not narcissists. n/t

[riverdeep]

12. Actually those descriptions sound exactly like someone we know: