No es ésta la primera vez que trato este tema del narcisismo en la dirección de empresas y, supongo, no será la última. El motivo de mi interés particular en este tema reside, precisamente, en que viví en mis carnes, durante años, los perversos efectos de este tipo de personajes sin poder realmente gestionar esa situación. El resultado para muchos fue calamitoso, incluyendo consecuencias psicológicas para empleados y consecuencias económicas para propietarios de la empresa, proveedores, clientes, etc...Esta semana leía un artículo en Financial Times que volvía a traer a mi memoria esa época y he pensado en incluido a continuación para quien hable también la lengua de Shakespeare.
28.10.2013
FINANCIAL TIMES
Naomi Shragai .
Narcissism
has received a bad business press over the years. The self-obsessed chief
executive with a volatile temper who both charms and intimidates staff, takes
all the credit for success while shifting the blame for failure on to others,
has been a recurring character in corporate dramas.
Compelling,
charismatic, colourful, such people can initially draw people under their spell
until difficulties and discord arise, when their deeper, darker personality
begins to emerge.
Such
individuals tend to be at the extreme end of narcissism, which is best
understood as a personality trait along a wide continuum, rather than a
pathological state. These people have an insatiable appetite for control,
status and praise, which explains why many strive for and gain the top jobs.
But it
is also true that such people bring qualities that are essential to the growth
and success of a business. These include ambition, optimism, visionary
thinking, a willingness to take risks and an ability to convince others to
follow their lead. Their intelligence, aspiration and drive can be a huge asset
that needs to be accompanied by a capacity for self-reflection, some ability to
manage their selfish needs and a knowledge of when to seek advice.
If a
person is at the extreme end of the narcissistic spectrum, however, and
particularly if market circumstances become unfavourable, his or her thinking
can become so irrational as to cause immeasurable damage.
Mark
Stein, professor of leadership and management at Leicester university in the UK
“Lehman
had been a fraught and highly fractured place to work, and when Fuld was
appointed, he set about – in a somewhat militaristic and brutal manner –
stamping out the dissent and pulling people together,” Prof Stein says.
Approaching
the financial crisis, Mr Fuld’s narcissistic traits “became entrenched in a
persecutory view of the world according to which the organisation’s problems were entirely
attributable to others”, he adds.
“Finally,
the only way out was for Lehman to be sold off, but Fuld’s overinflated view of
the worth of the company prevented him from doing this. The catastrophic
collapse of Lehman, that levered us into the global credit crisis, resulted
from this.”
New
chief executives may find themselves in a bind as the commendable narcissistic
traits – such as self-confidence, fierce ambition, a grand vision and
compelling personality – that enabled them to reach the pinnacle suddenly have
the potential to become a liability. Can they put their selfish impulses aside
and put the company’s interests first?
Kerry
Sulkowicz, a psychoanalyst and founder of the Boswell Group, a New York
One
example of this was a chief executive who was highly ingratiating, paid false
compliments and charmed people with his good looks, smooth delivery and an
ability to make everyone feel they had a special relationship with him. He was
extremely religious and often began senior team meetings with a prayer.
When
he became CEO, the share price of the company soared, in part because initially
he changed and developed the business, but also because he worked his charm on
Wall Street analysts. Eventually, though, his colleagues began to see his
disingenuous and manipulative side. By that time, however, the company’s
performance had begun to dip, he had sold most of his shares and then proceeded
with a planned retirement from the company while leaving his successor to
inherit a mess.
Prof
Stein explains how this comes about. “One of the biggest problems with
narcissistic managers is their extreme feelings of omnipotence and their
deluded thinking that they can shift the market and know the future. As a
consequence, and in the face of clear and stark warnings from others, they may
take on extreme and unnecessary risks that endanger the future of the
organisation.”
The
constant craving for affirmation and drive for perfection is best understood as
a psychological defence. Behind this veneer is a person struggling to protect
himself against deep feelings of inadequacy, insecurity and vulnerability.
The
need for affirmation may be driven by an unconscious attempt to repair earlier
traumatic experiences where he may have been neglected or hurt badly in some
way. Children often internalise these experiences, so instead of feeling angry
at their parents, they see the fault in themselves. Criticism, and indeed any
unpleasant feelings, become intolerable.
It is
difficult to change such leaders. Those with enough capacity to listen and
learn can be helped by a good coach or a trusted colleague. But for those with
deeper emotional damage, the process can be lengthy and difficult even with
professional help.
This
was the case for one successful entrepreneur who sought help because of
personal relationship problems. His early childhood was marked by neglect. When
he was six his father left, leaving him with a depressed mother.
He
survived his own feelings of loss by escaping into his vivid imagination. There
he created exciting stories that provided an alternative to the grim atmosphere
at home. People became immensely attracted to him and his tales, and thereby
began his subsequent business career of convincing people with his visionary
thinking.
Yet
beneath this success was a man who was insecure and unable to sustain intimate
relationships. In-depth therapy helped him make the links between his extreme
need for affirmation at work and his childhood.
He
came to understand that the attention his success had brought helped distance
him from a sad childhood and attain the praise he desperately missed from his
father. Once he understood this, he was able to work more collaboratively with
his staff and learn to tolerate his own experiences and feelings.
Research
by Donald Hambrick, professor of management at Penn State University
“Narcissistic
CEOs, who tend to pursue dynamic and grandiose strategies, also tend to
generate more extreme performance – more big wins and big losses – than their
less narcissistic counterparts,” he says.
“They
do not generate systematically better or worse performance. In particular, they
engage in substantial strategic change and considerable acquisition behaviour.”
Prof
Hambrick also believes that narcissistic leaders are more beneficial in dynamic
industries, citing entertainment, high tech and cosmetics as sectors that are
more suited to such characters.
Perhaps
the most useful conclusion to draw is that narcissism needs to be both
understood and managed. We tend to condemn narcissism in others while failing
to see it in ourselves. The writer Gore Vidal put it succinctly when he defined
a narcissist as “someone who is better looking than you are”.
How to accommodate a narcissist
Try this
●Find out what their agenda is and go along with it – if you cannot, you
may need to leave
●Appreciate that narcissistic leaders can be brilliant and inspiring too
●Realise that it is all about their success, not your achievement
●Begin feedback with praise – they only hear what they want to hear
●They will blame you if things goes wrong, so keep everything on record
Don’t try this
●Do not expect acknowledgment or thanks – nor any empathy or interest in
you
●Do not take any criticism they direct your way personally
●Do not ignore them – give them the attention they demand
●Do not confront them, it could make them paranoid and vindictive
●That said, if their behaviour becomes abusive, do not tolerate it
The writer is a psychotherapist and this article is based partly on her clinical experience.
