Grandiose narcissism, leadership, and workplace deviance: does self-interest always breed toxicity in leadership roles?

Existing literature on leader narcissism reveals conflicting evidence due to the paradoxical nature of narcissistic traits- narcissistic admiration and rivalry. Additionally, a bipolar view of self-interest, rooted in the concept of dual behavior may help in clarifying this paradox. Therefore, the study examines how narcissistic admiration and rivalry affect leader narcissism and workplace deviance, with self-interested behavior acting as a mediating factor. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using a sample of 313 responses from Prolific, an online academic platform. Grounded in self-determination theory and trait activation theory, the framework is tested through the PLS-SEM approach in the U.S. population sample. Both narcissistic traits-admiration and rivalry shape leadership narcissism, further shaping deviant behavior. Further, self-interested behavior as a mediator refines the narcissistic tendencies of individuals in leadership roles and shapes deviant behavior. sequential mediation also confirms a strong interplay between grandiose narcissistic traits and deviant outcomes through self-interesting behavior and leader narcissism. The study emphasizes that narcissistic traits and extrinsic factors shape self-centered behavior. It further concludes that narcissistic admiration and rivalry both lead individuals to embrace dark aspects of leadership characteristics that spill detrimental effects on the workplace. This contradicts the optimistic perspective of narcissism literature, especially in the case of narcissistic admiration.