Narcissists are terrible people. Personally, I can’t stand them, and I think I am not alone in that. But what happens when you put two narcissists in a room together and let one evaluate the other? Before we answer that question let us define what narcissism is, or rather what the pathological version of narcissism is. After all, we all are a little bit narcissistic. It is just when it becomes extreme narcissism that we enter the territory of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD):
Again, another great article, thanks for bringing these things to us!
Two thoughts on why narcissists get promoted more easily:
1. Performance evaluations don't matter when it comes to career moves (unless extremely bad)
2. Career moves is a zero-sum game: One person wins, all other candidates lose. That promotes anti-empathetic, competitive behaviours - part of the narcissists skillset.
First of all, the process is broken from the hiring stage. A really narcissistic boss or hiring manager will generally let through only two kinds of applicants:
1. Lemmings and sycophants.
2. Some younger narcissists that the boss might identify with (lizard brain instincts). Speaks to some level with racial and other kinds of biases in the hiring process anyway.
Then among those in 1 and 2 above, the boss will evaluate? Chances are you will not get anyone from 1. and likely pick up from 2. with a certain caveat - the hotshot cannot be more ruthless and smarter than the boss-man, or he might cannibalize the boss.
That is why the first formal job I took was the one which has a very flat organizational chart and has a dual career path (you can either pursue managerial track or technical fellowship). The technical part cannot be synthesized no matter the pathological degree is. The manager on the other hand is kept in check by other senior techs because if he makes the mistake taking credit for something he did not do a) management knows he is on managerial track and will attract investigation b) the senior techs will simply dump on him the hard technical tasks and see him burn. (Hence, I stayed there for 8 years before I started my own company)
An answer to your question why nasrcissists relative easily reach the top is given in the book Corruptible, written by Brian Klaas.
Again, another great article, thanks for bringing these things to us!
Two thoughts on why narcissists get promoted more easily:
1. Performance evaluations don't matter when it comes to career moves (unless extremely bad)
2. Career moves is a zero-sum game: One person wins, all other candidates lose. That promotes anti-empathetic, competitive behaviours - part of the narcissists skillset.
First of all, the process is broken from the hiring stage. A really narcissistic boss or hiring manager will generally let through only two kinds of applicants:
1. Lemmings and sycophants.
2. Some younger narcissists that the boss might identify with (lizard brain instincts). Speaks to some level with racial and other kinds of biases in the hiring process anyway.
Then among those in 1 and 2 above, the boss will evaluate? Chances are you will not get anyone from 1. and likely pick up from 2. with a certain caveat - the hotshot cannot be more ruthless and smarter than the boss-man, or he might cannibalize the boss.
That is why the first formal job I took was the one which has a very flat organizational chart and has a dual career path (you can either pursue managerial track or technical fellowship). The technical part cannot be synthesized no matter the pathological degree is. The manager on the other hand is kept in check by other senior techs because if he makes the mistake taking credit for something he did not do a) management knows he is on managerial track and will attract investigation b) the senior techs will simply dump on him the hard technical tasks and see him burn. (Hence, I stayed there for 8 years before I started my own company)