Narcissism & Leadership In The Military: Why Confident Jerks Sometimes Rise

Are narcissists natural-born leaders—or disasters waiting to happen? Do they thrive in the military?

In this stream, we dive deep into the groundbreaking study: "Narcissism and Emergent Leadership in Military Cadets" by Paunonen et al. (2006). You’ll discover why confident, ego-driven individuals often rise to the top—and why many of them eventually crash and burn.

We’ll break down:

The bright vs. dark sides of narcissism

The traits that actually predict peer-rated leadership

Why manipulation and impression management hurt leadership potential

How peer evaluations outperform formal interviews in selecting real leaders

And what this all means for choosing, developing, and becoming a leader in high-pressure environments

Whether you're leading a team, building a career, or just curious about what makes someone worth following—this is a must-watch breakdown on leadership psychology.

🎖️ Based on: Paunonen, S. V., Lönnqvist, J.-E., Verkasalo, M., Leikas, S., & Nissinen, V. (2006). Narcissism and emergent leadership in Military Cadets. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(5), 475–486.
📎 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2006.06.003

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