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Study Provides Academic Support for New Steve Jobs Portrayal
It’s no surprise that some of the most celebrated leaders in the business world also happen to be self-promoting narcissists.
New research from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management finds those strong characteristics are not such a bad thing–as long as those leaders temper their narcissism with a little humility now and then.
“Just by practicing and displaying elements of humility, one can help disarm, counterbalance, or buffer the more toxic aspects of narcissism,” said Bradley Owens, assistant professor of business ethics at BYU. “The outcome is that narcissism can possibly be a net positive.”
One of the most prominent examples of this type of leader was Steve Jobs. In fact, the study mentions the former Apple CEO by name: “Although Jobs was still seen as narcissistic, his narcissism appeared to be counterbalanced or tempered with a measure of humility, and it was this tempered narcissist who led Apple to be the most valuable company in the world…”
The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, supports the softer portrayal of Jobs that appears in the new biography, “Becoming Steve Jobs” released today. Specifically, the research finds when leaders self-regulate their narcissism with humility, employees are more engaged, perform better and perceive their boss to be more effective.
Narcissistic leaders are typically self-centered, extremely self-confident and believe their ideas are superior to others. They have bold visions and grand plans and often swing for the fences. Owens says these people do not value marginal or incremental changes but want to be involved with paradigm-shifting, industry-shaping, disruptive-technology-types of changes.
Source: jewishbusinessnews.com