5 Ways to Deal with a Narcissistic Leader

Do you dread going to work every day?

Maybe you are in a career you love, yet you face someone at work who is making you want to stay under the covers and hide? 

If you hate getting up and going to work every day because your boss, manager, or supervisor is hard to deal with, you may be working with a narcissistic leader.  

Today I’m going to tell you how to identify a narcissistic leader and how you can make things easier. 

Narcissist: (noun) a person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves.

Narcissists have the ability to destroy the company from within and set an unprecedented attitude and toxic environment in the workplace.  

Narcissistic managers/bosses/leaders spend a LOT of time thinking about how to achieve more attention and power.  Therefore, they are quick to blame others for failure or to turn a blind eye to their own missteps (watch out, that gaze will land on random people around them).  

So how do you handle a narcissistic boss? Keep reading to find out! 

What is Narcissism? 

A Narcissist can be identified by their behavior and certain recurring traits.  Take a look at the list and see if any of these resonate: 

Narcissistic Traits:

• An exaggerated sense of self-importance – This is not what leading with confidence looks like! 
• Feeling superior to others 
• Feeling like they deserve special treatment and recognition
• Excessive need for attention and admiration
• Values people only when they see them as beneficial
• Lack of empathy (doesn’t care about anyone or their lives but their own)
• Toxic relationships – takes advantage of others
• High level of aggression and harsh, unhelpful criticism (meant to hurt or devalue others)
• They don’t take responsibility for their actions – they always have someone else to blame because they feel superior/without faults.

If your leader shows these traits and portrays them in the workplace, you have the honor of working with a narcissist.  It can make life really hard.  

5 Ways to Handle the Situation

Narcissism isn’t something that you can cure or take care of yourself.  However, there are tools that will help you manage the situation.

One: Realize YOU are NOT the problem

When dealing with a narcissistic leader, you may feel that everything that happens in the workplace is your fault.  They do this to place blame on others to continue feeling superior and flawless.  

Take some time to reflect, journal, or meditate before you get into work and tell yourself that YOU are NOT the issue and you do your job to the best of your ability. Arriving with a positive attitude and understanding of the whole situation will help you get through your workday with much more ease. 

Two: Avoid Gossip and Drama

It’s hard to avoid, we know.  But this is CRUCIAL.  Don’t get caught up in the gossip at work because, most likely, it will get back to your leader, and they will not be afraid to confront you about it. So be mindful of who and what you speak about.  Keep your thoughts to yourself to avoid further conflict and stress. 

Three: Remain Calm

If a situation arises that causes a narcissistic outburst, it is best to remain calm and notify their direct supervisor and HR immediately.  Knowing how much to handle yourself and what to delegate will help you avoid being degraded, devalued, and emotionally vulnerable.  Your top leaders should be involved with this type of behavior because it is toxic and can damage the team’s morale and the success of the business. If your narcissist IS the boss, decide whether or not your work there is worth the trauma.  

Work with MVision Consulting

I believe in encouraging and empowering employees and building strong, successful teams that help the business grow and thrive.  I have been working with groups, businesses, and leaders – and yes, narcissists –  for almost a decade to create an environment conducive to a healthy and happy workplace. 

Because of my expertise, I can provide training and resources, like these articles, to help leaders and employees gain the self awareness to grow beyond narcissism. 

One of my favorite things is to provide you with tools, suggestions, advice, and wisdom for managing conflict in the workplace.
If you’re interested in learning more about developing a healthy workplace, schedule a discovery call with me today!