The Secret To Influencing A Narcissistic CEO

Media mirror, mirror, tell me who is the boldest.

The blog of The Harvard Business Review reports that a study from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) has concluded that narcissistic CEOs are three times more likely than others to implement technological disruptions when media interest for the concerned technology is important. Conversely, when the media are indifferent to a technology, narcissistic CEOs tend to be as well.

(CC) camil tulcan

This research studied the strategy of U.S. pharmaceutical companies confronted to the advent of biotechnologies between 1980 and 2008. It shows that, since they want to be admired, narcissistic CEOs take more risks when they think that commentators will praise their decisions. That is why they are inclined to adopt new technologies highlighted in the media.

Now you know what you have to do if your CEO is narcissistic and you want to influence one of their decisions: Work with the chief communicator of your company to feature the related topic in the media.