Dark Personalities

Narcissists from a clinical perspective are people who lack empathy while bolstering inflated perceptions of importance and combine that with an overwhelming need for adoration. They can be charming, charismatic, and in business, exceedingly difficult to work with as they regularly place their own needs above those of the organization they (usually) hold some seniority within.

I’ve worked for several agencies where senior staffers, CEOs, and others often behaved in ways mirroring narcissism. Narcissists often rise to the upper echelons of influence in business due to their charisma, willingness (and ability) to operate on a level more thoughtful or more moral individuals would shy away from.

As a result narcissism in business and in politics is becoming increasingly more common.

The Blame?

The fault, alas, is not their own. Most narcissists were probably emotionally or psychologically abused as children and simply perpetuated what they saw and lived. To them the behavior they modeled was “normal” and to an extent, anyway, comfortable due to its daily repetitions.

Navigating Dark Waters

But knowing that doesn’t make working with them, or for them, any easier. A narcissist can manifest shocking fits of rage over something that displeases them as effectively and as quickly as they can hold dazzling meetings or convey a joke.  Knowing what the behavior looks like does however inform one’s ability to navigate professional business scenarios in which they may make themselves known through their behavior patterns or decisions (decisions that lack organization for example, or structure, so can’t be successfully implemented).

When working with such a soul, it’s important to remember your center, the place from which you draw calm and certainty, recalling the direction your moral compass points toward, and how to find your True North in the midst of the storm they can effortlessly create.

Once you spot the red flag billowing in troubled winds you can reverse course, alter direction to circumvent the impending chaos, or, if your stern is steady enough, go forward without being rocked.