Here is a quick heads up on new research that is helping us understand who makes a good leader and who doesn't….

The bottom line is well summarized by the Wall Street Journal article about the study: "Beware Big, Bossy Egos."

The study broke participants into 50 3-person groups and gave them an assignment.

The leaders of each group took a personality test that determines whether they are self-absorbed  nd narcissistic or not (example of a question: "I am going to be a great person").

The groups led by narcissists shared information less effectively than other groups, and did less well on the assignment.

Meanwhile, here is what is fascinating and scary: Participants who worked under the most narcissistic leaders gave them good reviews, calling them "authoritative" and "effective." In other words, they didn't even know they were part of a poorly performing team!

Among the authors' conclusion: Narcissists present themselves well and can make a great impression on job interviews. However, they may not live up to expectations.

This is based on the forthcoming book "Reality at Odds with Perceptions: Narcissistic Leaders and Group
Performance" by Nevicka et al.

I hope you found this useful. It seems that there is going to be a market for tools that assess self- absorption and narcissism, as this personality trait is one to watch out for. There are already tools that measure this personality trait, and coaches and consultants should consider adding them to their arsenal.