Managing the Mavericks - Strategies to Minimise Negatives and Maximise Positives

Overview

Narcissistic leaders are characterised by:

• irrational/mood-driven management
• lack of empathy
• the capacity to turn on friends and supporters
• hypersensitivity
• lack of insight

Whilst they have serious weaknesses, they typically also have valuable strengths. This is often why they end up in positions of leadership.

Maccoby (2000/2004) suggests the world needs such aggressively work oriented "grand visionaries and innovators". According to him productive narcissists are "not only risk takers willing to get the job done, but also charmers who can convert the masses with their rhetoric”.

Whilst it may be true that healthy narcissism can be a pre-requisite for life at the top, when narcissistic tendencies move from being healthy to unhealthy the organisation can deteriorate into animosity and discontent, hindering both individual and business productivity.

To prevent this, the downside of a leader's narcissism must be managed by increasing self-knowledge and by restraining anchors within the organisation. Given that narcissistic leaders typically are poor listeners, hypersensitive to critical feedback and unwilling or unable to mentor or be mentored, the challenge to self-knowledge and workable restraints can be considerable.

This Short Course will increase your understanding of this mood-driven condition and your skills in managing it. You will learn about narcissism as you explore strategies to minimize its negative effects whilst optimising the narcissistic leader's strengths. You will also explore the unique requirements for coaching the narcissistic leader and learn strategies for enhancing their self-awareness.

Topics Covered

Individual-level interventions:

• balancing challenging feedback with empathic support
• understanding without colluding
• self-care in regard to self-esteem

Team-level interventions:

• restoring productivity and diversity where narcissistic leadership has stymied creative process
• restoring fairness and direction in the face of irrational decision-making

Organisational-level interventions:

• policies to manage destructive effects
• harnessing the gifts of narcissistic leaders
• coaching possibilities

Learning Methods

• Understanding theories and models of narcissism
• Experiential learning
• Skills development

Who should attend

HR Executives, Managers, Coaches, Project Managers

Outcomes

As a result of this Short Course you will:

• develop your professional skill-base to better identify characteristics of narcissistic leadership in the workplace
• deepen your understanding of what causes narcissism and what you can and cannot change
• expand your understanding of the personal, team and organisational effects of narcissistic leadership and what to do to minimise the downside
• acquire management tools for supporting your day-to-day interactions to increase effectiveness in managing both the constructive and the potentially destructive aspects of narcisstic leadership