Campus News

Psychology professor talks about narcissism in the workplace

Keith W. Campbell, a professor in the psychology department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was recently quoted in an article from Raconteur about dealing with narcissistic bosses.

Narcissists often thrive in leadership roles in the corporate world thanks to some of the positive traits narcissists have: confident, ambitious, charismatic and hard-working, to name a few.

However, issues can arise when narcissistic individuals are promoted to positions of authority. Campbell, who’s also the author of The New Science of Narcissism, spoke on a few of these potential problems.

“One of these problems is highly risky decision-making,” Campbell said. “Companies with narcissistic CEOs tend to take bigger risks. The other problems are more interpersonal. Dishonesty, poor ethics, sexual assault and abuse are the most toxic examples in corporate settings.”