The Double-Edged Sword of Grandiose Narcissism: Implications for Successful and Unsuccessful Leadership Among U.S. Presidents
Abstract
Recent research and theorizing suggest that narcissism may predict both positive and negative leadership behaviors. We tested this hypothesis with data on the 42 U.S. presidents up to and including George W. Bush, using (a) expert-derived narcissism estimates, (b) independent historical surveys of presidential performance, and (c) largely or entirely objective indicators of presidential performance. Grandiose, but not vulnerable, narcissism was associated with superior overall greatness in an aggregate poll; it was also positively associated with public persuasiveness, crisis management, agenda setting, and allied behaviors, and with several objective indicators of performance, such as winning the popular vote and initiating legislation. Nevertheless, grandiose narcissism was also associated with several negative outcomes, including congressional impeachment resolutions and unethical behaviors. We found that presidents exhibit elevated levels of grandiose narcissism compared with the general population, and that presidents' grandiose narcissism has been rising over time. Our findings suggest that grandiose narcissism may be a double-edged sword in the leadership domain.
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Narcissists tend to persist in the face of failure.
“For example, narcissists promote bold visions and are charismatic, they tend to persist in the face of failure, and they are good in crisis management (Galvin et al., 2010; Watts et al., 2013).”
From Narcissistic Leaders and Their Victims: Followers Low on Self-Esteem and Low on Core Self-Evaluations Suffer Most (2018) · cites this paper as Watts et al., 2013
Narcissists are good in crisis management.
“For example, narcissists promote bold visions and are charismatic, they tend to persist in the face of failure, and they are good in crisis management (Galvin et al., 2010; Watts et al., 2013).”
From Narcissistic Leaders and Their Victims: Followers Low on Self-Esteem and Low on Core Self-Evaluations Suffer Most (2018) · cites this paper as Watts et al., 2013
Narcissists promote bold visions.
“For example, narcissists promote bold visions and are charismatic, they tend to persist in the face of failure, and they are good in crisis management (Galvin et al., 2010; Watts et al., 2013).”
From Narcissistic Leaders and Their Victims: Followers Low on Self-Esteem and Low on Core Self-Evaluations Suffer Most (2018) · cites this paper as Watts et al., 2013
Narcissists are charismatic.
“For example, narcissists promote bold visions and are charismatic, they tend to persist in the face of failure, and they are good in crisis management (Galvin et al., 2010; Watts et al., 2013).”
From Narcissistic Leaders and Their Victims: Followers Low on Self-Esteem and Low on Core Self-Evaluations Suffer Most (2018) · cites this paper as Watts et al., 2013
Narcissistic individuals may project themselves as goal achievers.
“and may project themselves as goal achievers (Watts et al. 2013;Campbell et al. 2004).”
From Grandiose narcissism and performance in organizations: mediating role of subjective wellbeing (2020) · cites this paper as Watts et al. 2013
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- Authors
- Watts, A. L., Lilienfeld, S. O., Smith, S. F., Miller, J. D., Campbell, W. K., Waldman, I. D., Rubenzer, S. J., & Faschingbauer, T. J.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- Concord, New Hampshire
- Foundation for the Study of Personality in History, Houston, Texas
- Corresponding author
- Watts, Ashley L.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-10-08
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2379-2389
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- OpenAlex
- W2107485453
- Cited by
- 206
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 8.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › History, Medicine, and Leadership
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, presidential leadership, American presidents, leadership behavior, presidential performance, crisis management, agenda setting, impeachment, unethical behavior
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Famous Persons, Humans, Leadership, Male, Middle Aged, Narcissism, Personality, Politics, Task Performance and Analysis, United States
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