Please note that there is a risk of spoilers in this blog entry but no key storylines within the movie ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ will be given away.
Are you a good boss? No really? Think about it.
Do you expect your employees or those you manage to act like you or to be their own person? Is it your way or the highway? Do you encourage behaviour that is wrong just to get the job done and meet KPIs?
If you answered yes to any of these question then you may be exhibiting the narcissistic tendencies which were comically shown in the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ movie. You may be thinking, oh, but it is just a movie. This is not the case, it is based on a true story which means it actually happened and there really are people like Jordan Belfort, Donnie Azoff and Mark Hanna (to name a few from the movie) amongst us now in our day to day business life.
According the 10/10/80 rule in criminology only a small proportion of us just carry out illegal activity because we can (10%) and some of us would never consider doing anything illegal (10%) and the rest of us (80%) are very much in between so we could go either way. This can be applied to the work place; our environment and experiences shape us so the majority of us can be led towards negative behaviour if we are pushed or pulled towards it for personal or communal reasons. As a boss you need to get yourself in check to be sure you will not influence others negatively.
So, what is a Narcissist?
A narcissist is a person who is an elitist and exists to be adored and admired. They tend to have very fragile egos and can be extremely insecure so they dislike criticism. They also like to see others reflect their image back to them. In addition they are addicted to the spotlight and crave attention and adoration e.g. recognition for achievements, no matter how small or insignificant.
Some positive traits of a narcissist are:
-Charisma
-Persuasive
-Driven
-Determined
-Goal-Oriented
Some negative traits of a narcissist are:
-Self-Centred
-Exploitive
-Lack of Empathy
-Envious
-Competitive
-Artificial
Creating the image
Some have argued narcissism is a leadership requirement because these type of people usually have great vision, confidence and pride in their own accomplishments. But they can be extremely destructive because of their charisma and some of the qualities mentioned previously.
It is difficult to believe these types of people get employed, become very successful and are then praised by the business world. We need to ask ourselves; are we are valuing the wrong type of leaders?
So back to the movie, there is a scene within the first 30 minutes of the Wolf of Wall Street where Jordan has lunch with boss. This scene was incredible because you could see how his boss was literally transferring his narcissism and negative qualities (including mind set) and imprinting them on the new employee. A clear example of this is when Jordan says something like, I thought our aim was also to make some money for our clients and his manager more or less says, no, we want to make money for ourselves and if they make money in the process that is good for them and they are lucky. This has been paraphrased slightly but the message is still the same. Jordan was already displaying some characteristics of narcissism at the beginning of the movie. Then his boss and the environment of Wall Street encouraged his negative behaviour and pushed him over the edge which eventually led to his downfall. He was essentially living his own reality with disregard for rules which is classic of a narcissist.
No one should encourage narcissistic behaviour in the workplace. People who display strong characteristics of this nature are a danger to themselves, to everyone around them and the organisation. They are just waiting to implode and if you are standing next to them you will be taken down with them one way or another.
When you are ‘the boss’ you must think about how your behaviour will affect others. If you are into drugs, alcohol and other illegal activity you do not have the right to impose that on others. Do not use the office as your personal playground. As a manager you are expected to display and encourage positive leadership such as empathy, motivation, goal orientation, collaboration etc. If you are in a position of authority but you are not bringing out the best in others then you should be taking remedial measures now because people will mimic you.
Some solutions
HR departments should make it a priority to spot unhealthy narcissism in the work place before it spreads and has a negative impact on everyone. A good solution for existing employees would be a strong whistle blowing policy and openness/encouragement to report office misconduct. But the solutions can start much earlier, from recruitment stage; having strong character specifications in job descriptions and securitizing candidates more before offering them the job. This is where Recruit-Drive can assist you to ensure you get the best.
Most of us usually start out ok but if we are in a very toxic environment which is headed by a charismatic narcissist then as an employee we usually have two options, get out or adapt. Honestly you would have to weigh your pros and cons because only you can know how the destructive behaviour is affecting you.
Want to know more about yourself take our quick narcissism test below to see how to fare.
Narcissism test
- Do you enjoy leading and telling others what to do?
- Are you a workaholic?
- Are you compulsive?
- Are you impatient?
- Do you often lie at work to come across well?
- Do you swear (a lot!)?
- Do you always put your needs before others?
- Do you feel remorse when you have done something wrong?
- Do you hate being criticized or told that you are wrong?
- Do you devalue your co-workers?
- Do you name drop a lot to feel important?
- Do you brag a lot?
If you answered Yes to all of these questions you should consider taking some corrective steps immediately.
Alleged famous contemporary narcissists: Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, O.J. Simpson, Paris Hilton, Madonna, Tom Cruise.
- Topics:
- Self Development
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