The Dark Triad Toxic Leaders
A friend of mine sent me a paper recently - this happens a lot! - which centres around the toxic behaviour of oligarchs and how they relate to politics. The paper mentions the ‘Dark Triad personality traits’, and reading the paper got me thinking about how these traits relate to work, especially if they are demonstrated in leadership positions.
The Dark Triad was first conceived by Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams in 2002 and describes three distinct yet interconnected personality traits, all sharing a manipulative and unsympathetic approach to people.
The three types are narcissism, psychopathy, and machiavellianism. Research indicates a significant overlap between these traits despite their conceptual differences.
Narcissists typically exhibit exaggerated self-importance, excessive pride, self-centredness, and a struggle to empathise with others.
Psychopaths demonstrate persistent anti-social behaviours, act on impulse, prioritise self-interest above all else, show limited emotional response or concern for others, and experience no guilt for their actions.
Whilst those displaying Machiavellian characteristics tend to manipulate others strategically, dismiss ethical considerations, lack emotional connection with others, and pursue personal advantages through calculated means.
Many of us have come across one (if not all) of these leaders in our working lives, and they not only undermine physical and psychological safety but generate a level of toxicity that is difficult to address without legal intervention.
How does this play out in the workplace?
Narcissistic leaders:
Create cultures where dissent is viewed as disloyalty
Take credit for successes while blaming others for failures
Demand excessive admiration and special treatment
Foster environments where employees compete for favour rather than collaborate
Research by Grijalva and Harms (2014) found that narcissistic leaders initially charm and energise organisations but ultimately create cultures of fear and compliance that stifle innovation and authenticity. A good example would be Adam Neumann, the former CEO of WeWork. His grandiose vision portrayed WeWork not just as a real estate company but as a world-changing movement. He cultivated a cult-like corporate culture, and his leadership ultimately led to a failed IPO in 2019, his forced resignation, and a company valuation that plummeted by over 80%.
Psychopathic leaders:
Display shallow emotions and limited empathy
Making impulsive, high-risk decisions affecting others' livelihoods
Use punishment rather than empowerment to motivate
Create unpredictable work environments that breed anxiety
Boddy's (2011) research on "corporate psychopaths" demonstrated how these leaders significantly reduce corporate social responsibility, employee well-being, and productivity while increasing workplace bullying. A good example would be Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in history and demonstrated classic psychopathic leadership traits. Without remorse, he betrayed thousands of investors, including charities and foundations. His utter lack of empathy was evident when his fraud collapsed in 2008. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison, where he died in 2021.
Machiavellian leaders:
Manipulate information flows to maintain power
Create politically charged environments where alliances matter more than performance
Reward loyalty over competence or results
Undermine potential successors who might challenge their authority
Studies by Belschak et al. (2018) found that Machiavellian leadership behaviours correlate with decreased trust, reduced knowledge sharing, and higher employee turnover. A good example would be Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco. He personified Machiavellian leadership through his political manipulation and self-serving actions. He created a culture of cronyism whilst using corporate funds for personal extravagance. He served over six years in prison before his 2013 release.
Do you have any of these leaders in your organisation?
How to deal with Dark Triad leaders
To combat the Dark Triad, organisations need to implement robust governance systems with regular, meaningful (this is key) leadership evaluation. Create psychological safety for honest feedback at all levels. Establish clear term guidelines with escalating performance expectations. Most importantly, value organisational cultural health over individual leader entrenchment. As the paper I read suggests, the most effective protection against toxic leadership is to ensure that they remain genuinely accountable to those they lead.
Practically, this means:
Regular leadership effectiveness reviews with escalating performance requirements
360-degree feedback with increasing minimum thresholds
Board evaluations of executives with growing independence requirements over time
Succession planning is becoming more rigorous with each year
Regular cultural pulse-checks to gauge organisational health and effectiveness
Leadership effectiveness is about balancing continuity with fresh ideas and preventing the concentration of power that gives rise to the Dark Triad and enables toxic cultures to take root. Only by implementing a robust governance approach to keep these traits in check can organisations ever hope to create vibrant cultures where continual high-performance flourishes.
