Donald Trump and our obsession with narcissistic leaders. (2015)

“The public in general and even management experts are hypocritical about what makes a good leader.

Ray Williams
Psychology Today 28 July 2015.

“Americans are obsessed with narcissistic leaders…. A case in point is real estate baron and presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“Some observers have openly called Trump a narcissist in terms of a classical definition. Stephanie Marsh used the Narcissistic Personality Disorder description contained in the psychologists/psychiatrists Bible, the DSM-V as an assessment for Trump, concluding there was a match….

“Not that he is alone. At various times, similar attention and popularity have been heaped by the public and especially by the media for leaders such as Steve Jobs, Lee Iacocca and Larry Ellison………

“The public in general and even management experts are hypocritical about what makes a good leader. On the one hand we exalt and praise leaders who are basically nasty and abusive (called a****les by some) because they are financially successful and on the other hand, research shows that humble leaders whose focus is to serve others are equally successful, but more importantly, capture the hearts and loyalty of others. Which do we value more?

“Although they are generally perceived as arrogant and overly dominant, narcissistic individuals are particularly skilled at radiating an image of a prototypically effective leader.”

Access the full article here: Our obsession with narcissistic leaders.