Narcissistic leaders can create a toxic and unhappy working environment. Despite this, a certain base level of narcissism lends itself to strong, innovative and charming leaders. Striking the balance between the two is difficult to achieve but can be done.

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Reviewed by

Jonny Gifford, former Senior Adviser for Organisational Behaviour, CIPD

Jonny’s work centred on conducting applied research in employment and people management, and strengthening links between academia and practice. He led the CIPD’s work on evidence-based HR and academic knowledge exchange.

Jonny is an Academic Member of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa), and a PhD candidate at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

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