An “extreme” narcissist is someone who has an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. In the workplace, this manifests as someone who exaggerates their achievements, takes credit for others work, needs constant adoration, is self-entitled, and uses other people to further themselves. If you happen to work with one, or even worse, for one, it can be a waking nightmare!
So can you stop these people from making your work life miserable? Or is quitting your only option? The good news is that most narcissists don’t stick around in a single job for very long. So if you can find ways to achieve a working relationship that is at least tolerable, you just need to outlast them until they leave.
In my latest column in The Globe and Mail that published this morning, I offer several ideas to make your workday with a narcissist more bearable.
How to survive the ‘extreme’ narcissist and make your workday bearable
If you get the print version of The Globe, you’ll find this column on page B9.
Note: if you are a subscriber to The Globe and Mail, you can also read the column directly at their website at this link: https://tgam.ca/33ZdMYB
What do you think?
Well, I’d love to hear about your experiences with narcissists in your workplace. Have you been able to develop a tolerable working relationship? What ideas do you have to share? Please comment below.
As frequent readers of the blog know, I write a monthly column for The Globe and Mail, under the broad banner of “Leadership Matters”. My most recent columns are linked below: