The Dark Triad Survival Guide - How to Battle Machiavellians, Narcissists, and Psychopaths in the Workplace
In this episode, Jodah and Dan invite two guests: Zoe Fragou, a leadership coach and organizational psychologist; and Brad Topliff, a leadership consultant and trainer. They discuss how to deal with people who exhibit dark triad traits: Machiavellianism (manipulation), narcissism (selfishness), and psychopathy (callousness). They explain what these traits are, how they affect organizations and individuals, and how to cope with them.
Some of the main points they make are:
The dark triad traits are not binary; they exist on a spectrum. Some people may have mild or moderate levels of these traits; others may have severe or pathological levels. The latter are more likely to cause harm or damage.
The dark triad traits can be adaptive or maladaptive depending on the context. In some situations or environments (such as politics or business), having some degree of these traits may help one achieve success or power. However, in other situations or environments (such as relationships or teamwork), having these traits may hinder one’s performance or well-being.
The dark triad traits can be detected by observing one’s behavior patterns over time. Some indicators of these traits include:
Lying frequently or convincingly
Exploiting others for personal gain
Showing lack of empathy or remorse
Seeking admiration or validation
Blaming others for their mistakes
Resisting feedback or criticism
Dominating conversations or interactions
Violating norms or rules
The dark triad traits can be managed by using various strategies such as:
Awareness: Recognizing when someone exhibits these traits and how they affect you emotionally or mentally.
Boundaries: Setting clear limits on what you will tolerate or accept from them.
Documentation: Keeping records of their actions or behaviors that may be unethical or harmful.
Support: Seeking help from others who can validate your experience or provide guidance.
Exit: Leaving the situation if it becomes unbearable.
If you are interested in listening to more episodes of their podcast or learning more about their work you can visit these websites:
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MORE ABOUT ZOE FRAGOU
Zoe Fragou - Organizational Psychologist || PhD candidate || Leadership Developer || Team-Building Expert || Awarded Business Coach
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MORE ABOUT BRAD TOPLIFF
Brad, like Liam Neeson, has a very particular set of skills, skills he has acquired over a very long career. He is an organizational Swiss Army Knife. He has a new blog at workquilibrium.com where he will share his thoughts on how organizations and employees can learn to love (or at least like) each other.
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MORE ABOUT JODAH JENSEN
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MORE ABOUT DAN TARKER
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TIMESTAMPS
00:01 - The Pop Culture Dark Triad Trivia Game
05:38 - Defining narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy
08:48 - How to identify a narcissist, machiavellian, or psychopath in your organization
09:12 - Is Donald Trump dark triad?
09:31 - Tps of companies narcissists, machiavellians, or psychopaths can be successful in
12:06 - Factor analysis and the dark triad
21:24 - Don Draper and organizations putting up with dark triad leaders
23:45 - Negative effects of dark triad leaders on a company
27:29 - Is Elon Musk a psychopath?
32:46 - Do you need to have dark triad traits to be as successful as Steve Jobs?
39:04 - Does our society romanticize dark triads traits too much in the media?
47:47 - Nature v. Nurture and dark triad
50:48 - Dark triad leaders don’t want to change
53:10 - How to protect yourself from a dark triad leader?
55:21 - Gender roles and the dark triad
57:13 - Traits of the dark triad you’ll see in an organization
57:59 - The dark triad in higher education
01:02:00 - Top 10 psychopath jobs
01:04:43 - What can you do about narcissists, machiavellians, or psychopaths at work pt 2
01:05:13 - Transparency and accountability as tools to battle narcissists, machiavellians, or psychopaths
01:07:36 - Confirm people’s perceptions about the behaviors of narcissists, machiavellians, or psychopaths at work
01:14:29 - How to contact Zoe Fragou and Brad Topliff
