Leadership
Why Many Successful Founders Are Narcissists
How to pursue your inspiring vision without crossing the line.
We all have narcissistic tendencies, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some narcissistic traits — such as having a clear vision or the ability to attract others — may make you a better leader. But there are plenty of similar characteristics that can make you unbearable.
Founders — and many of their investors — are likely to place highly on the narcissist spectrum, along with many of our great leaders, like Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, and even Gandhi.
Narcissistic leaders
In his documentary, DICKS: Do you need to be one to be a successful leader?, Max Joseph interviews leadership expert Michael Maccoby about the pros and cons of narcissism, concluding that:
‘Narcissists reject the world as it is and instead have a vision of how it should be.’
The most common traits of narcissists include undeniable charisma, unshakeable conviction, a habit of listening only to themselves, mild paranoia, an over-controlling nature, lack of empathy, and even occasional cruelty — not because they want to be cruel, but simply in relentless pursuit of their vision.
Maybe a few of these sound familiar.
In his extended essay, ‘Narcissistic Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons’, Michael Maccoby describes the behaviours of both productive and unproductive narcissists.
Productive narcissists tend to show the following leadership qualities. Usually, they:
- Have compelling visions
- Are driven to change the world
- Can easily attract a following
- Are willing to take risks
- Ask critical questions
- Pursue aggressive goals
- Change the rules of the game
- Make bold decisions
- Have street-smarts
However, narcissists often have unproductive traits too. They may:
- Ignore their team’s…