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Dealing with Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the Workplace
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Dealing with Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the Workplace

Sunil Bagai
Crowdstaffing, 2018
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In almost every office, there’s one employee who can’t stop bragging, who has grandiose schemes, and who loves to take credit for successes but points fingers when plans go awry. This person may be intelligent, outgoing and even charming at times, but other times, he or she undermines your team’s progress and makes for a contentious work environment. Dealing with such narcissistic personalities can pose a challenge to co-workers. This interesting and perennially relevant guide by Sunil Bagai, the founder of recruitment start-up Crowdstaffing, offers general advice you can apply when handling a team member with narcissistic traits. Bagai provides a few examples of what to say to a narcissist via email, though sadly, no counterexamples of what not to say.

Summary

Narcissism is most prevalent in top management.

In the United States, narcissists constitute an estimated 6.2% of the country’s total population. Studies have found that a greater prevalence of narcissism exists among executives or other individuals with high salaries than among the rest of the population. Research also suggests that the number of people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder is growing, particularly among those aged 20 to 29 years. 

Some common characteristics – such as excessive self-belief, arrogance and lack of empathy – can help you identify a potential narcissist. 

To help you figure out if one of your co-workers might be displaying signs of narcissistic personality disorder (NDP), consider some of the most common characteristics of narcissism as listed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders&#...

About the Author

Sunil Bagai is the founder and CEO of recruitment start-up Crowdstaffing. A Silicon Valley entrepreneur, he also founded ZenithTalent, a staffing agency. 

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