Narcissistic Leaders and
Organizations
Assessment and Intervention
Diane M. Langberg, PhD
Philip G. Monroe, PsyD
Contact Info
www.dianelangberg.com
info@dianelangberg.com
• pmonroe@biblical.edu
• www.globaltraumarecovery.org
Slides download:
www.wisecounsel.wordpress.com
Meditation: 1 Kings 1:1-10
• King Me!
▫ Listen for characteristics of egocentric leaders
▫ How does this remind us of our own tendencies?
Overview
• Introduction to Narcissism and Narcissistic
Personality Disorder
▫ Emerging model of personality disorders
▫ Q&A
• Narcissistic Systems: Features and Impact
▫ Q&A
• Working with Narcissistic Leaders: Challenges and
Directions
• Working with Narcissistic Systems
▫ Q&A
• Concluding Thoughts
Defining Characteristics
• Self-absorbed
• Entitled
• Demanding
Differences with immaturity?
Current View of NPD
5 of 9 symptoms needed:
• Grandiose sense of self often seen as exaggeration of
achievements and abilities
• Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power,
brilliance and love
• Believes he is special and can only be understood by others
who are special
• Demands excessive admiration
• Entitled and expects favors and compliance
• Interpersonally exploitive; uses others to achieve his ends
• Lacks empathy; cannot identify with others’ feelings
• Envious of others or believes they are envious of him
• Arrogant, haughty, proud in behavior and attitudes
Bob Filner’s “apology”
Emerging Model of Pathological
Personality
• Connected to 5 Factory model of Personality
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Negative affect (v. emotional stability)
Detachment (v. extraversion)
Antagonism (v. agreeableness)
Disinhibition (v. conscientiousness)
Psychoticism (v. lucidity/reality testing)
Emerging Model, con’t
• 4 Core personality functions
▫ Self
 Identity
 Self-direction
▫ Interpersonal
 Empathy
 Intimacy
NPD in Light of this Model
• Identity: Excessive reference to others for selfdefinition; Exaggerated self appraisal
• Self-direction: Goal setting based on gaining
approval from others; Often unaware of own
motives
• Empathy: Impaired ability to recognize
feelings of others; Attuned to reactions of others
only as they refer to self
• Intimacy: Largely superficial to serve selfesteem regulation
Value of this New Model?
• Compare differences
▫ Exploitive vs. Uses others to regulate self-esteem
▫ Lacks empathy vs. Attuned to others only when
relevant to self
Can Narcissism be Productive?
• Differences?
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Confidence vs. egotism
Visionary vs. reckless
Resilient vs. impervious to criticism
Goal driven vs. exploitive
Crossing the Line?
• Crossing the line
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Poor listener
Lacks empathy
Distaste for mentoring
Intense competition
Or…the Willingness to Exploit
4 Factor Model
3 Factor Model
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• Leadership/Authority
• Grandiose Exhibitionism
• Exploitive/Entitled
Leadership/Authority
Absorption/Self-admiration
Superiority/Arrogance
Exploitive/Entitled
Exploitation most correlated with pathological narcissism
Q&A
And Their Leaders
Friedman: Demands of Leaders
• Expertise
• Charisma
These demands are problematic?
Core Egocentric System Criteria
• Abdicates power to leader
• Abandons critical thinking
• Success interpreted though leader success
Is This Organization Narcissistic?
• Leader Features
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Exudes god-like status
Does not share power or glory
Surrounded by “yea-sayers”
Unwilling to tolerate disagreement
Likely to scapegoat or pass blame
Unwilling to consult with others
Prone to cruel, abusive, intimidating attacks
Is This Organization Narcissistic?
• Organization features
▫ Constituents gain self-esteem/identity
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Approved way of thinking
Insider status provides immeasurable value
Justify dictatorial behaviors of leaders
Require the taking of sides (for/against)
▫ Love of organization is highest priority
 No toleration for admiration for competitors
▫ Inability to assess own weaknesses
▫ Encourages spiritual abuse
Collective Narcissism (Societal)?
▫ Independent of individual narcissism!
• 4 Features
▫ Inflated belief in group superiority
 Emotional investment
▫ Requires continuous external validation
 Vigilant against all threat of loss of status
▫ Perceive intergroup criticism as threatening
 Exaggerated sensitivity to criticism
▫ Intergroup violence restores positive group image
Examples?
• Exaggerated in-group esteem spawns hostility
• Al Qaida and OBL?
• But what about the USA?
For more, see: Golec de Zavala, A., Cichocka, A., & Iskra-Golec, I.
(2013). Collective narcissism moderates the effect of in-group image threat
on intergroup hostility. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,
104(6), 1019-1039. doi:10.1037/a0032215
Q&A
Challenges, Opportunities, Safeguards
Facing the Challenge of Counselors
• Triggering defenses?
• Recognizing deceptive responses
• Getting caught in the system
Overarching Goals
• Find a way to be heard
• Explore self apart from external world
• Assessing/encouraging readiness for change
Assessing Types of Narcissism
• Overt (Grandiose)
▫ Seeking to maintain superiority
• Covert (Vulnerable/Sensitive)
▫ Seeking to achieve but with fragile confidence
Rohmann, E., Neumann, E., Herner, M., & Bierhoff, H. (2012).
Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism: Self-construal, attachment, and
love in romantic relationships. European Psychologist, 17(4), 279-290.
doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000100
How would this assessment influence your work?
Assessing/Encouraging Change
• Best responses when your client is at stage:
▫ Pre-contemplation?
▫ Contemplation?
Building Empathy and Self-critique
• Curious place to start
▫ Empathy with self!
• Navigating self-evaluation
▫ What if I am not special?
Organizational Consultation
• Identifying organizational narratives
• Identifying feared outcomes of allowing internal
criticism
• Developing a “both/and” approach to
strengths/weaknesses evaluation
Safeguards
• For the organization?
• For you?
Concluding Thoughts