"He was like the cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow."~ George Eliot

Narcissism is defined as displaying excessive interest in oneself with a grandiose view of one’s own talents and a craving for admiration. Narcissists are vain, selfish and manipulative. They have a constant need for affirmation and recognition. As they are very much pre-occupied with themselves and their own ideas, narcissists are not receptive to suggestions and advice from others. Instead, they are sensitive to feedback which is often perceived as personal criticism. Notwithstanding, they are still able to attract followers as they are usually also charismatic and eloquent.

 Narcissistic Business Leaders

It is not uncommon to find leaders with narcissistic traits in the business world e.g Jack Welch of GE, Bill Gates of Microsoft and the late Steve Jobs of Apple. These leaders are well-known for being visionary and bold with the courage to venture where others have not imagined. They have created blue oceans and opened up new markets and opportunities for themselves and their own organisations. The world of technology is the best testament for these visionary leaders who through their innovation and vision to see things that never were, came up with products such as the ipad, iphone etc.

Given the strengths of narcissistic leaders in being visionary, charismatic, transformational and radical, it is not hard to understand why narcissism is a common and sought-after trait for leaders in the business world. In fact, as narcissist leadership thrives in chaotic times, large corporations are increasingly seeking out such leaders to come up with radical ideas to create a new future and leave behind a legacy.

"It was precisely that evening in Lodi that I came to believe in myself as an unusual person and became consumed with the ambition to do the great things that until then had been but a fantasy." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte, "Thoughts"

Narcissistic Leaders in Singapore

Examples in Singapore? With my entire career in the Singapore public sector, I can’t speak much about the private sector. But if I were to speak from my personal experiences in the public sector, I think narcissism doesn’t quite have a place in the Singapore public sector. Why?

I humbly believe the answer lies in the nature of narcissistic leaders which is generally incompatible with the nature of work and human relations in the public sector. This brings us to the dark side of narcissism.

The Dark Side of Narcissism

Being self-preoccupied and highly confident of their own abilities, narcissistic leaders tend to act without restraints believing that they are invincible. This feeds their feelings of grandiosity and overconfidence and makes them tune out cautionary advices from those around them. They are also highly defensive and vigilant for any signs of disagreement which may be interpreted as betrayal. This creates isolation resulting in flagrant risk-taking that can eventually lead to catastrophe if unchecked and uncontrolled.

“In all great deceivers a remarkable process is at work to which they owe their power. In the very act of deception with all its preparations, the dreadful voice, expression, and gestures, they are overcome by their belief in themselves; it is this belief which then speaks, so persuasively, so miracle-like, to the audience." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, "The Genealogy of Morals"

Narcissistic leaders are thus poor listeners who are oversensitive to criticisms. They are selective about the information they seek and hear only those they are looking for. They are self-centred and do not work as a team. Instead, they are highly competitive and ruthless in their pursuit for victory. They do not mentor or teach others and prefer to indoctrinate or preach. They dominate meetings and cannot tolerate different opinions.

Narcissistic leaders also lack empathy. While they may crave empathy from others, they do not return the favour. They are not able and not bothered to understand how others feel by putting themselves in their shoes. They are usually manipulative and exploit those who are with them to achieve their desired outcomes.

"The narcissist devours people, consumes their output, and casts the empty, writhing shells aside." ~ Sam Vaknin

Therefore, the nature of public sector work in Singapore where collaboration and teamwork are necessary amongst various government departments and agencies to ensure achievement of collective goals will rule out narcissism which emphasises competition and personal rather than team achievement.

The tendency for narcissists to self-celebrate and indulge in delusions of grandeur will also make them unpopular choices for leadership succession in the Singapore public sector which emphasises collective achievement of goals to enhance the well-being of the nation rather than that of the individual leader.

Last but not least, their poor listening and lack of empathetic skills will make them poor in relationship management. This is an essential skill for public service leaders in Singapore given that they usually have relatively short stints in any public organisation and it is therefore important that they are able to build relationships quickly in any new organisation they are posted to ensure employee buy-in to achieve organisational goals.

Hence, I believe there is no place for narcissistic public service leaders in Singapore. Besides the reasons highlighted below, another important reason is the precedence of collectivism over individualism in Singapore (In Hofstede’s survey of the influence of culture on workplace values, Singapore ranked low in individualism – 39^th out of 41 countries). Any leader that emphasises self over team, competition over collaboration and is closed to feedback and advices will not thrive in an environment where collective values and norms prevail.

Notwithstanding, the selection may sometimes fail. To mitigate the adverse impacts of any oversight, it is therefore important to educate public leaders on the importance of emotional intelligence which includes:

- Self-awareness- know their own strengths and weaknesses

- Self-management – learn controlling their own impulses

- Social awareness – empathize with other’s feelings

- Relationship management – building relationships 

Summary

Narcissism can be both a strength and weakness of leadership. It all depends on the context (public or private sector) and the situation (is it a time when radical change is needed).

To ensure that productive narcissism does not become unproductive, training and practice on Emotional Intelligence are necessary. Narcissists should also learn to be open and have a good sense of humour and keep in mind the following words of Roosevelt to be less self-conscious:

"You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do."~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I shall end with this quote which explains narcissism with a sense of empathy, for its only with empathy that the world can be a better place:

"Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm — but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves."~ T.S. Elliott

The Myth of the Narcissistic Leader by Nathan Hiller
(a good summary of the strength and weakness of narcissistic leadership)

The Narcissistic (they just don't listen)