17 Reasons I Can’t Save You from Being Abused by Your Corporate Narcissist

A friend and I were talking the other day about emotional abuse in the workplace. Both she and I have witnessed and experienced it, so we know it’s real. However, plenty of people think we’re both nuts (and drama queens).

But listen. People are people, and they haul their crap into the workplace damn near on cue. If you can believe that someone could emotionally abuse her kids, then you better believe she’d emotionally abuse her subordinates, or even her boss—if she could get away with it.

Those who emotionally abuse have quite a few tricks up their sleeves, such as manipulation and other forms of mind control, gaslighting, deception, lies, “divide and conquer techniques,” bullying, and even flattery. If you’ve ever worked for an emotional abuser, you might find yourself confused, frustrated, angry, and depressed. This is a perfectly normal reaction to a perfectly horrific situation.

I’ve found that the three best cures for the bad feelings that naturally result when the life blood is being slowly sucked out of you by a human predator are (1) knowledge, (2) prayer, and (3) distance.

But some people, it seems, don’t want a cure. As they say, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

Here are the top 17 reasons why you’re doomed to being used by your corporate narcissist. My apologies in advance.

1. You believe that “deep down all people are good.”
2. You believe in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt—again and again.
3. Your definition of narcissism is limited to “someone who thinks too highly of himself,” and you’ve never heard the terms "malignant narcissism" or “destructive narcissist.”
4. You think that if someone has attained a position of authority, he must have gotten there honestly.
5. You think wicked people only work at other people’s organizations and truly evil people are rare.
6. You think “labeling” someone is wrong.
7. You’re trying to get through the work day with as little drama as possible, and you’re not interested in hearing anything “negative.”
8. You grew up in a household marked by dysfunction, which has made you tolerant and vulnerable to bad behavior.
9. You don’t believe that God would lead you to a “bad” workplace.
10. You don’t need saving. You’re a narcissist and feed off the other narcissists within your organization.
11. You’re ambitious and want to move up the corporate ladder by “any means necessary.”
12. Your narcissist is protected within the organization by bystanders, fans, and those in high places who have been duped by the narcissist’s persona.
13. You believe that people only do bad things because they’re hurting. You’re unconvinced that aggressive personalities exist and could be sharing your workspace. 
14. You want nothing more than to “go along to get along.” 
15.  You can’t admit that someone you once thought of as “good” is actually anything but, because that would mean you’ve been suckered and that’s unacceptable. 
16. You think you can get along with anyone. You don’t or won’t recognize that your workplace predator is virtually incapable of being a true friend. 
17. You pride yourself on being able to handle anyone. No one takes advantage of you! You forget these nasty folks are practiced liars and manipulators who probably spend most of their waking hours thinking of ways to get others to do whatever it is they want them to do.

For your sake, I hope you never have to come face to face with one of these meanies, because you’re going to be completely unprepared.

Just don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. 

Still Breathing ...

Today I decided to face my fear and check my blog statistics. (Shudder.)

After being terribly negligent for the past few weeks, I wouldn't have been surprised to learn that absolutely NO ONE is reading this thing anymore.

Well, I'm happy to report I was wrong! 

So THIS post is a big old THANK YOU to everyone who's hanging in there with me while I go through an extremely busy period. I appreciate you more than I can say. (And I miss you, too.)

Stay tuned for a new article coming REAL SOON!

Is Your Boss Abusive? Here’s Some Bad Advice For You

Over the years, I’ve read a lot of advice about dealing with abusive bosses. Most of it is disappointing.

Why? Well, it seems there’s no end to the number of people who’d prefer to blame the victim and defend the abuser than offer useful information or even comfort to those who’ve been abused.

And when it comes to the worst kind of abusive boss—the narcissistic bully—the advice can be particularly troubling.

Here’s one gem:

“Avoid complaining about the behavior to everyone except the offender … If you lack the courage to speak directly to the boss, find another way to deal with the stress, by talking to and getting support from a partner or close friend who has no ties with the organization.”

First, if the people in your HR department have zero power or their heads up their butts (way more common than it should be), talking to a sympathetic coworker is about all the relief you’re going to get, seeing as friends and family members unfamiliar with your work environment are likely to dismiss your legitimate concerns with off-the-mark (though perhaps well-meaning) statements like: 

“It’s bad everywhere.”

“Just give the boss what he wants and forget about it.”

“It’s only a job.”

“Maybe you’re being too sensitive.”

"No one can abuse you without your consent. Stop being a victim." 

And I guarantee you the more screwed up your work environment, the less your friends and family will believe what you tell them. (Unless one of your friends is me, because I’ve seen it all and believe it all. You could tell me your boss has horns and some fangs, and yes, I’d ask you to bring me a picture next time, but in the meantime I'd take your word for it.)

Second, “If you lack courage?” Okaaaaayyy.

The author goes on to state:

“Much as with leaders, there are few natural born louders [the author’s term for bully leaders]. It can result from a lack of self-awareness combined with others’ unwillingness or inability to confront the louder.”

In other words, you have an abusive boss because you’re too much of a punk to call him on his crap. Wow. Evidently this person has never worked at a company with a raging, malignant narcissist. You can confront this person all day long, and it’ll be like talking to a wall, because narcissists simply don’t give a shit. Anything you have to say that flies in the face of the fake persona they've created will be promptly ignored.

And confrontation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be either.

A 2013 study conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute found that 68.8 percent of targets confronted the bully, and in 93 percent of cases, the bullying did not stop. Keep in mind that narcissists are particularly dense about others’ concerns and thrive on both positive and negative attention. If a confrontation doesn’t make them more nasty, it might just give them a thrill.

Yes, these are some sick, twisted folks.

Which is why, when dealing with narcissistic bullies, the opposite advice can be equally unhelpful—the suggestion that you try and elicit the boss’ empathy or make him “understand” his negative effect on you.

Well, I’m sorry, but that simply won’t work with a narcissist. The narcissist has no empathy to elicit, and any show of vulnerability or need from you will merely cause him to salivate. A predator’s nature is to target and exploit weakness, period.

Your narcissist, your god
But the advice I find most offensive and appalling is the kind that implies (if not outright states) that the narcissist has some type of “superpower” to hurt and destroy.

To hear these folks tell it, narcissists are omniscient and omnipotent. They see all, know all, and are unable to be stopped, because they have an “uncanny” ability to read people, and they’re charismatic and authoritative, blah, blah, blah. If you have a narcissist boss, then, you must never contradict him, and the first chance you get you should run, run, run!!!

Hmmm …

Well, let me just say that malignant narcissists (sometimes called “destructive narcissists”) are very bad news, that’s for sure. And, if you discover that you’re working for one, you should indeed make plans to run, run, run. But not like a scared chump. You should run because these slime balls aren’t worth your time and talent. A narcissist will never allow you to shine, and anything you learn on the job will be despite her efforts to sabotage you. So yeah, make plans to get out, but you don't have to be afraid of these bastards.

And as for the narcissist’s “uncanny” ability to hurt people … well, if you’d spent your entire life practicing how to manipulate without breaking a sweat, you’d get pretty good at it too.

Also, malignant narcissists are shameless, pathological liars, and I mean shameless. So yeah, that gives them an “advantage,” if you will, over decent folk who won’t do anything, say anything, and hurt anyone to feel and look good, but it sure as hell doesn’t make them superhuman. In fact, destructive narcissists are sub-human in my humble opinion. They are empty, dark spirited meanies.

Finally, as far as narcissists being charismatic, well, that’s true—to a point. Many found Jim Jones, Hitler, and Warren Jeffs “charismatic,” (defined by Google as “exercising a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others”).

But that’s by and large an early impression. Once you get to know narcissists a bit more, the scales will fall from our eyes, and these God-less souls will creep you out and occasionally make the hair on the back of your neck stand to attention.

So, there’s nothing to be gained by walking on eggshells around your narcissist boss, in the process giving him permission to violate all your space and emotional boundaries, hoping that by doing so he won’t lash out at you today. Narcissists are foul. They don’t need a good reason to hurt you. They just do it. Allowing him to dominate you won’t help your cause, at least not in the long run.

To repeat, narcissists aren’t gods, but they will end up bowing the knee to one, that’s for sure. Remember that.

The narcissistic “relationship”
In "Your Bullying Boss May Be Slowly Killing You," Sandy Hershcovis, a professor of business at University of Manitoba, is quoted as saying, “We don't want to blame the victim, but we recognize this more and more as a relationship [between the bully and the target].”

Uh … no. If you’ve been targeted by a nasty workplace bully, you aren’t in some damn relationship.

Is the insect trapped in a web in “relationship” with the spider? Is the mouse being tossed about in a “relationship” with the cat? Not buying it. Targets don’t get bullied because they’re doing something to provoke the bully (unless you consider reserving your right to express your own mind “provocation”). Bullies bully because they’re effing bullies.

It’s as simple as that and cruel to suggest anything else.

Bullies choose their targets for being who they are, whatever they are, and it’s ridiculous to assert that you being you is a good reason for someone to abuse you.

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder whether these so-called experts are bullies themselves.

Speaking of experts ...
And speaking of experts, no I don’t have a single credential to back up my stance. However, I’ve worked with more narcissistic bullies than I care to remember, and I’m a fan of abnormal psychology, so whenever I run into one of these people, I start my research all over again, even while I’m studying these jokers like rats in a lab. And if that’s not good enough for you, I understand. You can call me full of shit and move on. I can live with that.

But if you’ve worked or are working with a malignant narcissist, I bet you can see some truth in what I’m saying. I’m 100% sure of that.

Is there any good advice out there?
I think so.

But now listen, it’s all an uphill battle, because disturbed personalities like it like that, our organizations seem to love these folks, the bully has more power than you, and if you’re normal you probably won’t relish the idea of going toe to toe with a nut job.

That said, the advice I listed in a previous article on the topic still stands (and while I’m no expert I repeated this advice from an expert, so there), but here are a few more goodies.

• Do not, I repeat, do NOT internalize the malevolent blather of the narcissistic bully. These people would have you believing you’re a piece of poop if they could. When they tear you down, they feel better, so tearing you down is what they do.
• Bring God into the mix. If you’re a praying person, pray. Don’t be afraid to cry out to God with your anger, frustration, and fear. He can definitely take it, and he’ll bless you for your faithfulness.
• Count the costs. Standing up to a bully boss, especially one with a personality disorder, requires courage, and you have to know before you start what you’re willing to pay for your principles. If your bully boss has been getting away with crap forever, there’s a good chance you could lose your job by refusing to submit to his or her demands. At the very least, your boss could decide to make your life a living hell, and you need to consider all this before you take your stand. Decide what’s important to you, pick up your cross, and don’t look back.
• Tap into your anger. Earlier I said that losing your temper is a bad idea, and it is. Unfortunately, the massive sense of entitlement, nonstop lies, and overall shitty attitude of the narcissistic bully does have a way of getting under one’s skin. (And I’m not even going to address what role race can play in all this—Lord have mercy.) However, your righteous anger can help you gain some sense of equilibrium. How bullies hurt others (casually and without justification) is morally wrong and should make everyone mad. David Orrison, a pastor who writes about narcissism from a Christian perspective, says “They [narcissists] like using the big dog [anger] to scare others. They think it makes them look strong and it moves others to do what they want. They don’t care about relationships … But you are not like them. Your anger has a purpose and a place. Your anger does not control you. It is simply a tool for you to use and then set aside. You control it. Let it come out when you need it, then take it to the back yard when you don’t.”
• Know that you have just as much right to be where you are as anyone else. Abusive managers like to make you feel like you don’t belong. Wrong. You belong wherever your maker has placed you. Shame on the narcissistic bully for implying otherwise.
• Don’t let the bullying take over your life. Being bullied can have a devastating impact on all areas of your life, but you MUST take steps to mitigate the damage. Dr. Maureen Duffy, coauthor of Overcoming Mobbing: A Recovery Guide for Workplace Aggression and Bullying told me in an interview that she started researching and writing about workplace bullying because patients were coming to her in distress, without a name for their experience, which had nonetheless affected their marriages, their children, and other significant relationships. If you’re being bullied it sucks, but don’t let it take all your joy. Spend time on activities that make you smile, stay in touch with supportive friends (while limiting time with those who aren’t so supportive), pray regularly, eat healthy, get some exercise—in other words, take good care of yourself. This too shall pass.

You’ll notice that most of the items on this list relate to guarding your emotional health, and that’s because workplace bullying is mostly a psychological form of abuse. Guarding our minds against the mind games of the narcissistic bully is so important. 

As I like to say (about the vile bully who once attached herself to me), “You’ve got an apartment in my head, I admit it. But you better sit your ass on the couch, stare at the wall, and not say shit.”

And she obeys.

Sociopaths in Your Workplace

Yup, they look as normal as this guy.

Last year, I wrote a piece about psychopathic bosses, and a reader commented:

“I really don't think it helps the HR profession to publish articles about the boss being a crazy psychopath if we want to be taken more seriously by C-Suite executives...”

Well, as I told this reader, I didn’t write the article in hopes that some mythical member of the C-suite might read it and decide that (waddya know?) HR pros bring value to the organization after all! 

Nope.

I wrote the article (albeit with a tiny bit of my tongue in my cheek) because the workplace contains many disturbed characters creating havoc on unsuspecting Joes and Janes who haven’t a clue that for some people, sabotage, mind games, backstabbing, lying, and cheating are a way of life. It’s fun. 

To these folks, “winning” (which sometimes means just ruining someone else’s day) is everything.

And, because it pisses me off royally that these office meanies get away with their bad behavior, in large part because the rest of us are taught (and believe) that "politeness” and “civility” are required in every social situation, I don’t mind being criticized every now and again for stating the truth—our organizations can be havens for seriously twisted folks who would just as soon use and abuse you and then toss you aside as tell you the time of day.

So call me what you will, today I’m going to tell you some of what I’ve learned about protecting yourself from these demented individuals. But first, I owe a ton of gratitude to:

• George Simon, PhD, author of In Sheep's Clothing and Character Disturbance. 
• Martha Stout, PhD, author of The Sociopath Next Door. 
• Gordon Shippey, author of “Sociopath Survival Skills: When Your Boss Has No Conscience.” 
• Paul Babiak and Robert Hare, authors of Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work. 

(By the way, here's a really interesting article about Bob Hare's quest to teach the world about psychopathology. At one point, Hare describes how his attempt to implement a treatment plan for psychopaths in a Canadian prison failed because management decided "We don't believe in the badness of people.") Oh, okay.

If abnormal psychology is your thing, or if your gut is telling you that someone in your organization is “off,” I highly recommend picking up one, two, or all of these books. And don’t let anyone tell you you’re crazy, either. To quote Dr. Stout:

"Whether you want to be or not, you are a constant observer of human behavior, and your unfiltered impressions, though alarming and seemingly outlandish, may well help you out if you let them."

Outward signs of the sociopath
Sociopaths have scary inner lives and weird ways of looking at things (such as believing that they’re better than just about everyone and entitled to special treatment), but (a) I’m not a doctor and (b) we can’t read our coworkers’ minds, so I’m not going there. Better to leave that discussion to the real experts who’ve studied these jokers in detail.

That said, thoughts (beliefs) do influence behavior, so here are some things sociopaths do that show you who they are.

Sociopaths:

• Lie all the damn time. Unlike compulsive liars who may lie about really stupid stuff and with no apparent gain, sociopaths lie with a purpose—as a means of impression management or to manipulate. And they do it without showing any outward signs of anxiety. It’s creepy to witness, let me tell you. 
• Display covert and overt aggression. As the term implies, “covert” aggression tends to be on the down low, but again, if you follow your gut, you’ll know when someone is really fighting you under the guise of a pleasant, reasonable, and even caring exterior. 
• Offer insincere flattery. Being the cynic that I am, I’m always suspicious of unwarranted flattery, it’s true. But sociopaths really do say all kinds of complimentary things for the sole purpose of getting you to feel some kind of way and doing whatever the hell it is they want you to do. 
• Try and control everything. You’ll notice this in particular if your boss is the one with the um … problem. The term “monster micromanager” doesn’t do the sociopathic boss justice, but the issue isn’t just detailed instructions and breath on your neck. Sociopaths will go to great lengths to control access to information. (All the better to keep you snowed about their true motives.) 
• Bring chaos and confusion to the scene. My mom used to tell me that the devil is the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and I’ve never forgotten it. I’ve found that whenever there’s a bunch of confused crap swirling around someone (angry staff; disjointed processes; and tasks undone, done inconsistently, or done poorly, etc.), there’s a good chance a wicked so-and-so is behind it all. 
• Are narcissistic. As the saying goes, not every narcissist is a sociopath, but every sociopath is a narcissist. How can you spot a narcissist? Everything she does and just about everything she says benefits her or brings attention to her in some way. Ick.
• Display a serious lack of empathy. Again, when dealing with a sociopath we can’t know what he’s thinking, but this individual shows a marked lack of concern for how others are impacted by his actions. Yes, he might feign a little something, something, but to you it feels fake. And it is.
• Make shameless ploys for pity. If you find yourself reluctantly feeling sorry for someone you KNOW is actually making OTHER people miserable, something sinister may be in the wind. A common ploy of sociopaths is to elicit sympathy, because sociopaths know that people with normal conscience are made vulnerable when they feel pity.
  
  

What to do?
Most experts agree that the best way to deal with a sociopath is to avoid him like the plague he is.

However, if total avoidance isn’t possible, do what you can to keep your distance—both physical and psychological. Don’t argue, don’t get into pointless discussions, and don’t get angry. When necessary, enforce your boundaries in a calm and non-confrontational manner. 

All the authors I referenced earlier offer first-rate advice for handling sociopaths (and other disturbed people), and if you have one of these nasty characters in your life, you’d do well to heed it.

Dr. Stout’s book, for example, contains “13 Rules for Dealing with Sociopaths in Everyday Life,” and I think they’re rather excellent.

My favorites? Rule 3 “ … Make the Rule of Threes your personal policy” (i.e., if a person lies three times, it’s not a misunderstanding or a “serious mistake”) and Rule 9, which states (among other things), “challenge your need to be polite in absolutely all situations…” Yeah, to heck with that. Offering unmerited politeness is how people get victimized.

It’s been my experience that far too many people don’t trust their instincts and are unwilling to call evil behavior what it is.

Suit yourself is what I say, but I prefer to live in the real world. At times it sucks, but what's the alternative?

Plus, no one ever dodged the nefarious attentions of a sociopath by pretending cruel and wicked people don’t exist. 

Good luck with that.

The good news
I've had my workplace peace disturbed more than once by someone who exhibited all the behaviors on the list, and I know firsthand that it's a lot to deal with it and at times can be very stressful. 

However, I do believe there are things we can do to protect ourselves from these predators. 

First, don't be afraid to call a spade a spade. You don't have to confront the individual, just know that he means no good for you. Second, don't be afraid to act on that knowledge. Lots of times we voluntarily give our power to those who would hurt us. Don't do that.

I also believe in a God of justice who sees all and will judge all. The God about whom Solomon wrote (Proverbs 6:16-19):

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes

a lying tongue

hands that shed innocent blood

a heart the devises wicked schemes

feet that are quick to rush into evil

a false witness who pours out lies

and a person who stirs up conflict in the community

'Nuff said.

More Than Conquerors: Who's Afraid of the Big, Bully Boss? Not You!

So, for a variety of reasons, I’ve been thinking a lot about fear, and particularly about the role fear plays in the workplace.

For you see, your typical workplace is simply chock full of fearful folks at all levels and within all types of positions.

Fear of:

• Being found out;
• Losing face;
• Losing power/position;
• Being ostracized;
• Losing the ability to provide for oneself and/or one’s family;
• Losing approval

And probably some stuff I haven’t thought of.

And it’s too bad.

Because evil people use fear to keep good people “in their place.”  To keep good people from:

• Talking;
• Thinking;
• Questioning;
• Challenging, and

 … even, reaching out to other good people, if only to provide comfort or validation.

Well, the whole thing makes me angry, I won’t lie.

And so, while I don’t normally (on this blog anyway) mix my faith in Jesus and my views about work, today I will.

Today, I’d like to remind every Christian toiling in a crappy workplace that 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

One commentary on this scripture says that “It is a grave reminder to Christians of every age and degree that all cowardice, all dread of danger, all shrinking from doing one’s duty for fear of man’s displeasure, proceeds not from the Spirit of God.”

So be encouraged. If you’re a Christian, and you’re (for example) suffering under a self-loving boss who uses intimidation, confusion, and fear to advance her dirty work, there’s no reason for you to fear (even if you’ve been caught in the cross hairs).

Your boss is the one who should be quaking in her boots, if only she had a clue about whom she’s pitted herself against. (That would be God, not you—just wanted to make that clear.)

And let’s face it. If you, as a Christian, are as fearful as the unbelievers in your midst, then what good is your faith? I’m just asking. 

Listen, I know it’s hard. Fear is a very powerful emotion. That’s why it works so well as an intimidation tactic.

But what did Mathew say?

He said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

So again, please be encouraged. God truly is a God of justice. And like Paul said (Romans 8: 31): “What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Not your nasty boss, that’s for sure.