Narcissistic leaders can do great harm or good. That potential is amplified when leaders are talented, endowed, or otherwise empowered as by wealth or status. Our world is shaped by narcissism ("planet narcissism"), hopefully more healthy than pathological.
Leaders and influencers must feel comfortable having and, to an extent, desire to have their own ideas and images of shaping the world of others. Their inner motivations and gratifications vary, but the capacity to shape things for the social good, versus for self-glorification, is a game-changer.
“Gifted individuals are often identified as such not just because they have been born with, or acquired, special gifts, but also because it is believed that they will, in some manner, share these gifts with the world” —Desmet & Sternberg (2023)
Scholars have drawn attention to the plight of the victims of sociopathic, narcissistic leaders (Khorram-Manesh & Burkle, 2023), who have a considerable burden of suffering given the influence of executives, politicians, and the like. Opportunistic leaders, once ensconced, are hard to unseat.
In addition, autocratic, narcissistic political leaders often suffer from varying degrees of developmental arrest, typified by a preoccupation with gaining power, associated with earlier stages of life; usually such overpowering needs are tempered with time. Their leadership is associated with greater civilian casualties in illegal "hybrid" wars (Khorram-Manesh & Burkle, 2022), highlighting the risks of more effective pathological narcissistic leadership.
Narcissists may have more to offer society, however. According to Desmet and Sternberg (2023), some are “gifted narcissists1”, and those gifts may—under the right circumstances—counterbalance the risk.
1. Gifted narcissists as “2E”. They are considered “twice exceptional” (2E)—to borrow a term from the gifted and talented (G&T) educational vernacular. As with other 2E individuals, gifted narcissists require specialized attention due to having liabilities as well as gifts. Being 2E requires particular adaptations and support, and personalized attention, to mitigate negative developmental outcomes.
2. Not all narcissists who think they are gifted actually are. It’s important to distinguish between “gifted narcissists” and “a person with a narcissistic personality disorder who is not gifted but who, due to their grandiose narcissism, has a gift for convincing others of their giftedness” (Desmet & Sternberg 2023)—a gift, perhaps for grift, and a capacity to convincingly mislead others about oneself. When a person overpromises and underdelivers as a way of life, they tend to quasi-parasitically move from one group to the next as others catch on to their true nature.
3. Four areas of gifted intellect. Intelligence can be grouped into four buckets: analytical intelligence, creative intelligence, practical intelligence, and wisdom. Analytically intelligent narcissists want to be seen as intellectually superior, high IQ. They may go into financial or scientific/academic fields. On the creatively gifted side, they seek personal gain via innovation in beating or tormenting others—again, often overestimating their own talent. Practical intelligence turbocharges grandiose narcissism, leading to enhanced harm and a greater chance of followers who are attracted to someone who “gets things done”. Wisdom is harder for grandiose narcissist to come by, but giftedness here may confer open-mindedness, self-reflection, and the capacity for perspective-taking and empathy. Wise grandiose narcissists may pursue wisdom practices, which may positively bend their developmental curve.
4. The dark traits. Grandiose narcissism comes with downsides—the second "E" in 2E—a dark triad of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism (being conniving and manipulative for one’s own gain). Add everyday sadism to the dark triad and you have the dark tetrad2. These traits can be major liabilities, leading to social dysfunction and reduced well-being3. Authors note that gifted narcissists are also often visionaries but fail in follow-through due to personality traits interfering with persistence and sustained goal-orientation. The narcissist's excessive need for admiration and preoccupation with rivalry fosters self-sabotage by diverting resources and alienating others.
Desmet and Sternberg end their analysis of gifted narcissism with an in-depth discussion of real-world examples. Many leaders who have adapted to the challenges of grandiose narcissism have succeeded in roles leading big corporations and in politics. They hit a roadblock when confronted with their own liabilities—and face sometimes blistering and precipitous falls from grace. Their ability to succeed is often circumscribed; although they achieve a degree of success, there are some areas in which they just can’t make the jump to light speed. They may also appear to being doing well professionally, while their personal life is in rough shape or even scandalous.
On the other end are the most sociopathic, yet very gifted, narcissists. Their more nefarious designs take hold with the right followers. They gravitate toward forming cults or becoming despotic leaders. Once in power, they create and maintain a culture that suppresses dissent and extinguishes rebellion or ejects people with extreme prejudice. This can become sustainable or may implode, doing great harm to many4.
Given that a significant number of people are both narcissistic and gifted, Desmet and Sternberg make a good case that early on, educational settings could provide interventions to tip the balance toward constructive, prosocial development and away from destructiveness. There is reason to hope that aspects of giftedness, notably those in the wisdom category, can have a positive impact for gifted narcissists and those whose lives they touch.
In cases of severe narcissism and clinically significant distress or dysfunction, mental healthcare may be appropriate, though the treatment of narcissistic personality disorder is generally challenging and has limited impact. Intrinsically grandiose individuals tend not to see that anything is wrong and would not see any reason to change until things get really bad—and even then, not necessarily.
Society arguably has an ethical imperative based on beneficence to identify gifted narcissists and intervene for the good of all. For instance, cultivating empathy and agreeableness5 and pointing out the pragmatic value of addressing problematic behaviors may be effective.
Gifted narcissists can contribute greatly to society, often through leadership roles, meeting their own narcissistic needs while gaining satisfaction from altruistic pursuits. They are not mutually exclusive, and, when well-conceived, are synergistic.
References
1. Authors' focus is on grandiose narcissists in this paper, people who are temperamentally inclined to narcissism rather than acquiring it more as a result of developmental experiences. As contrasted with “vulnerable” narcissists, intrinsically grandiose personalities are authentically based in a belief they are better than others. With vulnerable narcissists, there is a core of shame, inadequacy or insecurity which curries terrible self-doubt and sometimes loathing, driving compensatory needs for admiration from and rivalry with others.
2. Researchers debate how many factors truly go into the dark triad. Reviewing the dark triad factors: https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/experimentations/202009/have-we…
3. Additional resources
Impact of narcissism on loved ones.
Narcissism and negative self-image.
Narcissism in intimate relationships.
Depression and narcissism.
4. The various forms of giftedness, such as analytic and practical intelligence, in the presence of a threatening context (economic hardship, narratives of victimhood) combined with the allure of apparent security and charisma by vulnerable and traumatized followers, is a recipe for mass destruction. This can range from a death cult like the Hale-Bopp group or the gruesome Jonestown Massacre, to institutions built to look like religions which function to make money and localize power in an elite few, often covering up decades of institutionalized abuse.
5. Agreeableness may buffer dark triad traits. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/experimentations/202203/a-surpr…
Citations
Khorram-Manesh, A., & Burkle, F. M. (2023). Sociopathic narcissistic leadership: How about their victims? World Medical & Health Policy, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.588
Khorram-Manesh A, Burkle FM. Narcissistic Sociopathy in Global Autocratic Leaders: Arrested Development, Obsessive Demand for Power, and the Emergence of Unlawful Hybrid Wars. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 2023;17:e263. doi:10.1017/dmp.2022.213
Ophélie A. Desmet & Robert J. Sternberg (21 Dec 2023): Those Who Gift Only Themselves: An Analysis of Gifted Narcissists as Ultimate Self-Transactionalists, Roeper Review, DOI: 10.1080/02783193.2023.2285042
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