10 Delusional Beliefs Narcissistic Bosses Have About Themselves And Their Workers
A narcissist in a position of power doesn't actually care for their employees.
Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock It’s never easy to deal with someone who’s narcissistic, yet when that narcissist is your boss, it becomes even more difficult to navigate your professional relationship. Narcissists are often described as having a grandiose sense of self, which means that they believe they’re superior to everyone around them. Narcissists are often aware that they’re self-centered, yet they don’t see that personality trait as a problem. They think that they deserve to be the center of attention, as they’re so much smarter and more successful than anyone else.
Narcissism exists along a spectrum. It’s been estimated that only one percent of the population has narcissistic personality disorder. Displaying narcissistic traits is different from being diagnosed as a pathological narcissist. Even so, people with narcissistic tendencies are challenging to work with, especially if they’re in charge.
Here are 10 delusional beliefs narcissistic bosses have about themselves and their workers
1. 'The rules don't apply to me'
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Narcissistic bosses have a sense of superiority that leads them to think that they're above being disciplined. They see the procedures and policies as being necessary restraints for everyone but themselves.
According to psychology professor Brad Bushman, who co-authored a study on narcissism, people who are narcissistic don't mind admitting that they think they shouldn't be governed by the same rules as everyone else.
"People who are narcissists are almost proud of the fact. You can ask them directly because they don't see narcissism as a negative quality — they believe they are superior to other people and are fine with saying that publicly," he said. "Overall, narcissism is problematic for both individuals and society. Those who think they are already great don't try to improve themselves."
A narcissistic boss who doesn't follow protocol and disregards the company's standards could very well put their employees in harm's way, while negatively impacting the quality of their experience on the job.
2. 'I never make mistakes'
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Another delusional belief narcissistic bosses have about themselves is that they never make any mistakes. Their oversized egos lead them to believe that they're completely above failure, unlike the people who work for them. If anything does go wrong on the job, they're quick to blame extenuating circumstances or their own employees.
Licensed psychologist Dr. Sherrie Campbell noted that narcissists live in a "world of distortion." According to Dr. Campbell, "From their perception, they never make mistakes, are never wrong, and their motives are always of pure intent. They take no responsibility for their behavior."
If one of their employees dares to challenge them, narcissistic bosses will often respond with anger. As Dr. Campbell explained, "They'll use anything to justify their anger while pointing the way you're actually in the wrong. They only see certain 'facts' and eliminate all other useful (or fair) information."
Narcissistic bosses have no moral problem with pinning their mistakes on their workers, because "They do not see other people as 'people.' They see other people as subjects meant to serve their satisfaction."
3. 'I deserve special treatment'
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Narcissistic bosses hold the delusional belief that they're entitled to special treatment that no one else in the office receives. While they might hold their employees to impossibly high standards, they refuse to do the same for themselves. It doesn't matter if they miss a deadline, because they see themselves as the exception. They think they should get privileges no one else has access to, because they're always seeking out ways to elevate their status.
An article from the journal Perspectives in Psychological Science described grandiose narcissism as "a personality trait marked by beliefs of personal superiority and a sense of entitlement to special treatment." The study noted that "viewing oneself as superior implies viewing others as inferior; viewing oneself as entitled to special privileges implies viewing others as not."
Therefore, a narcissistic boss not only thinks they should be given special privileges, they also think no one else deserves those same privileges.
4. 'They should be grateful to work for me'
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Their inherent lack of empathy means that they genuinely don't see anything wrong with how they treat other people. They think their workers should feel lucky to even have a job at all, let alone a job with such amazing leadership.
Along with a lack of empathy, a sense of grandiosity and entitlement, narcissism can also be defined by a chronic need for external validation and a need for other people's admiration.
As clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula explained, those traits "really create the core of that disorder, and then that's coupled with this sort of inability to regulate self-esteem." Dr. Durvasula revealed that narcissism can be categorized as "a disorder of self-esteem."
"People with narcissism are often the most insecure people in the room and they've established a way of showing themselves as anything but," she said. "They often look like the most confident person in the room but there's an emptiness there."
Because narcissistic bosses have such a superiority complex, they lead their teams with the misplaced idea that their employees should express a sycophantic level of gratitude, just to have the honor of working for them.
5. 'This job comes before everything else'
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Narcissistic bosses hold on tightly to the delusional belief that there's no such thing as work-life balance. They think their workers should prioritize the job above everything else, because their families and personal lives aren't as important as the company's success.
Their belief that work should be the center of everyone's existence can show up in various ways. They consistently cross the boundaries their workers have set, and they see no issue with expecting their employees to answer calls and emails at any time, even on weekends. They see no need for their workers to take vacations, pushing them to the edge of extreme burnout.
They have no regard for anyone's emotional well-being, as their overall lack of empathy makes it impossible for them to understand how other people feel.
6. 'My workers owe me loyalty'
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Narcissistic bosses believe their workers owe them a level of undivided loyalty that they definitely don't plan on returning in kind. They often declare that their company is like a family, which is a problematic statement on its own, but they also don't offer the kind of respect or safeguards that do come with being part of a family. They think their employees should trust them implicitly, but they do nothing to earn that trust.
Despite their delusional belief that they're owed loyalty, they don't offer their employees any job security. They have no issue firing employees without due cause, since they don't actually care about them as people. They see their workers as a means to an end, and they have no problem cutting them loose after they've achieved their goals.
7. 'I don't need to explain myself'
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For narcissistic bosses, there's no need for them to explain themselves. They don't offer any justifications for the choices they make, even when those choices directly affect the people who work for them. They expect unquestioned obedience, despite a complete lack of transparency.
A research article titled "The Role of Personality in Human Resource Management" touched on the personality traits that are generally associated with "the classic narcissist in the workplace."
They described a narcissist in the workplace as someone who is "overconfident... dominant, attention-seeking, interpersonally skilled and charming, but also unwilling to take criticism, aggressive, high in psychological entitlement, lacking in true empathy, interpersonally exploitative and grandiose or even haughty."
A narcissistic boss's entitlement, coupled with their inability to hear any feedback, usually creates a workplace environment where open and direct communication doesn't exist.
8. 'They could never make it without me'
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Narcissistic bosses believe that they're indispensable to their company, which means they hold the belief that their employees couldn't succeed without their presence as a leader. Their ego and grandiose sense of self makes them think they're irreplaceable, and that the company and its employees would be lost without them.
A narcissistic boss puts strong emphasis on social status. They view their leadership role as being more important than any other position in the company, which means they look down on their employees. While they underestimate their workers' capabilities, they don't hesitate to take credit for work their team has done.
Still, their distorted sense of self-importance makes them think that their workers would fail without their guidance.
9. 'They're just jealous of my success'
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A belief that narcissistic bosses have about themselves and their workers is that everyone at the company is jealous of their success. This belief is tied into their inability to accept constructive feedback. If an employee makes a suggestion or attempts to offer critique, a narcissistic boss ignores the content of the conversation and exclaims that the employee is jealous.
They hold onto the idea that everyone else envies the status they've achieved. Because they have such a low level of emotional intelligence, they're virtually incapable of self-reflection. They don't consider how their actions affect the people they work with. When they're challenged, they fall back on having a victim mentality, as though their colleagues were out to get them because of how jealous they are.
For their workers, their jealous outbursts can cause long-term consequences. Research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that a toxic workplace creates psychological strain, increases levels of burnout and stress, causes employees to disengage, decreases productivity, and leads to high turnover rates. But for a narcissistic boss, none of this really matters.
10. 'All my ideas are visionary'
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Narcissistic bosses think every idea they have is a groundbreaking, genius-level thought that will revolutionize the way the company functions. They're unable to acknowledge being wrong, which means they can't see when their ideas are too impractical to actually work.
As research published in the journal Perspectives in Psychological Science explained, narcissists are more likely to be aggressive and intimidating than people who aren't narcissistic. In their pursuit of power, status, and wealth, it's likely that they'll follow through with their ideas, even when they could potentially damage the company.
The article noted that "Narcissists have been shown to be more likely to exaggerate their competences or lie to get ahead," and they are "more likely to make high-risk investments." Their inability for introspection and their inflated sense of self often leads them down the wrong path, yet their adherence to their delusional beliefs is so strong, they'd never acknowledge the error of their ways.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.