Managing Dark Leadership Traits: A Research-Based Guide

In leadership, certain traits often have both light and dark sides, capable of propelling leaders to great success or driving organizational dysfunction. Many employees have encountered leaders who are power-driven, self-focused, or highly confident–characteristics that, in moderation, can lend strength to a leader’s role. However, when these traits edge into extremes, they can lead to destructive and even toxic behaviors that damage employee well-being and hinder organizational performance.

Examining the Research on Primary Psychopathic Leaders
Recent research by Laurijssen and colleagues (2024) takes a closer look at a specific type of destructive leadership known as “primary psychopathy” in leadership. These are leaders with high levels of primary psychopathic traits, often exhibiting behaviors like callousness, egocentricity, manipulation, and a lack of empathy or remorse. These characteristics have been linked to increased burnout and higher turnover among employees. However, despite these detrimental effects on employee morale, such leaders may also deliver certain organizational benefits in some cases–adding complexity to how organizations should respond.

The Research Findings
Across three studies, the researchers sought to unravel such complexity by determining the limits that organizations can place to harness the power of primary psychopathic leaders, all while avoiding a negative impact on employees.

In the first study, an online experiment of leaders assessed how organizational settings might trigger self-serving behavior. The findings indicated that leaders high in primary psychopathy traits were more likely to act in self-interest when working in environments with vague rules, weak consequences for misconduct, and low behavioral transparency.

The next two studies involved real-life data from leader-subordinate pairs and teams. Here, the researchers observed that leaders exhibiting high primary psychopathy traits were more likely to engage in abusive supervision and self-serving behavior when organizational rules were unclear and policies were weak. These insights underscore the role of organizational structure in either containing or amplifying potentially harmful leadership behaviors.

Practical Recommendations for Managers
For managers aiming to foster productive leadership while minimizing toxic outcomes, the following practices are essential:

• Set and Communicate Clear Boundaries: Clear, well-defined policies are essential. Managers should communicate these expectations consistently to reinforce the types of behaviors that align with the organization’s values.
• Implement Fair and Consistent Enforcement: Policies alone won’t suffice; they must be enforced equitably. Sanctions or corrective actions should be applied reliably and without favoritism to prevent the perception that certain leaders can act with impunity.

Understanding the paradox of certain “dark side” leadership traits can help organizations leverage assertive, results-driven leadership without compromising employee well-being or organizational culture. As business consultants, we explore these nuances to help managers understand where the line lies between beneficial assertiveness and harmful abuse of power. Interested in hearing more? Get in touch with us.

Reference

Laurijssen, L. M., Wisse, B., Sanders, S., & Sleebos, E. (2024). How to neutralize primary psychopathic leaders’ damaging impact: Rules, sanctions, and transparency. Journal of Business Ethics, 189, 365-383.