The Prince

• You won’t get paid for the extra hours but you’ve been assured there will be kudos from senior management.
• A Machiavellian personality is self-serving, opportunistic and ambitious – traits that can help them attain positions of power and status.
• Working for a Machiavellian boss is likely to be infuriating, stressful and bad for your mental health.
• By understanding what drives this personality, and how it differs from the other “dark personality traits”, you can limit the fallout.

Origins of Machiavellianism

• Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) was a diplomat in Florence during a period of power struggle involving the powerful Medici family.
• When the Medicis returned to rule the city in 1512 after almost two decades in exile, he was briefly imprisoned and then banished.
• “The lion cannot protect himself from traps,” it says, “and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.

Joining the ‘Dark Triad’

• However, while the three traits are lumped together due to their antisocial qualities, there are important differences.
• Narcissism is a set of traits as well as a personality disorder, characterised by egoism, self-absorption and the need to feel superior to others.
• Psychopathy is also a diagnosable personality disorder, defined by lack of empathy or conscience.
• The boss who assures you they have your best interests at heart might just be telling you what you want to believe.

How to deal with a Machiavellian boss

• A Machiavellian boss may seek to manipulate
  with flattery or bullying, promising reward or threatening punishment.
• So how to deal with a Machiavellian boss?
• The first lesson is to be clear about what drives a Machiavellian personality.
• You can’t trust a Machiavellian, and need to deal with them cautiously.
• But distrusting your boss and operating with a “strike before the other does” mindset will, if you’re a relatively normal person, be emotionally draining.

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