How Narcissistic Followers Navigate Leader Relationships: Bonding Efforts, Strategic Support-Seeking, and Gossip

Abstract

The grandiose self-concept of narcissistic individuals is at odds with occupying subordinate positions in organizations. We examine how narcissistic followers navigate this tension through distinctive leader-directed relational strategies. In three studies, we find that narcissistic followers are (1) more likely to strive to cultivate a personal bond with their leaders, (2) more likely to seek career-enhancing support from them, and (3) more willing to share negative gossip about co-workers with them. Narcissistic followers also believe that they enjoy superior relationships with their leaders compared to their peers (high LMXSC), and this perceived relational advantage partly explains their leader-directed behaviors. These effects persist after controlling for followers' absolute relationship quality, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, indicating that they reflect uniquely narcissistic tendencies. This work advances our understanding of narcissistic followers, identifies narcissism as an antecedent of LMXSC, and demonstrates that narcissists' grandiosity extends to relational perceptions when the relationship has instrumental value. Overall, the findings suggest that narcissistic followers do not passively accept their subordinate status but actively seek to reduce both psychological and hierarchical distance from their leaders.