Vanity and Leadership

I’ve read some columns and listened to political pundits over the weekend discuss at length whether or not President Obama is narcissistic and if that’s negatively affecting his impact as a leader. Conservative columnist George Will discussed this issue in the context of Obama’s (and the first lady’s) speeches to the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen. In his column, Will remarks that: “In the 41 sentences of her remarks, Michelle Obama used some form of the personal pronouns ‘I’ or ‘me’ 44 times. Her husband was, comparatively, a shrinking violet, using those pronouns only 26 times in 48 sentences. Still, 70 times in 89 sentences was sufficient to convey the message that somehow their fascinating selves were what made, or should have made, Chicago's case compelling.” A rebuttal to Will's column is here.


President Obama’s self-confidence (described as vain, narcissistic, egotistical, arrogant) has come up repeatedly as a criticism since he took office. One of his opponents in the election, Sarah Palin, also faced similar criticism, being labeled as a “diva” by even those on her own side. She has even been accused of having a narcissistic personality disorder.

Narcissism is mostly used in the negative – as a way to describe someone who is obnoxiously self-centered. Although, if kept in check, it can be seen as a positive. Emily Yoffe, in a column on Slate.com recently wrote about narcissism and noted that it “is used to describe a quality that comes in three gradations: a characteristic that in the right amount is a normal component of healthy ego; a troublesome trait when there is too much; and a pathological state when it overwhelms a personality.”

I don’t know if the commentary about Obama or Palin is fair. It’s hard to really know anyone in this world of soundbites, instant reaction, and attack-style politics. I also don’t think they’re very different from their colleagues on capital hill. Most politicians echo, through their actions, the famous words of NFL star Chad Ochocinco: “I love me some me!”

However, it got me wondering about the vanity and its role in leadership. (By the way, I tend to use the words vanity, ego, and narcissism interchangeably, although I’m sure there are some subtle differences in those concepts).

Do leaders tend to have large egos? Probably. It takes a lot of self-confidence to step forward and assume the risks of leadership.

Does a leader have to have a large ego? No. One way to examine is something is necessary or significant as a leadership quality is to also understand the opposite trait. The opposite of vanity is humility. Some of the finest leaders, those that Jim Collins refers to as “Level 5” leaders in Good to Great, are exceptionally humble.

If you had two leaders, one of them vain, and the other humble, who has the greater chance for success? It depends on a myriad of other factors of course, but I tend to believe that the vain leader would have a greater impact immediately, whereas the humble leader would have an impact that lasts longer. Both kinds of leaders can be respected, but I wonder if the legacy of a humble leader becomes stronger by the sheer fact that we just like them more.

Should leaders nurture their ego? Perhaps - if it helps them exert influence in a positive way for the betterment of the organization. Pete Hall wrote a nice article for Education World on this topic. He states “Simply put, since we acknowledge that leaders who are charismatic and self-confident (the politically-correct term for possessing a strong ego) are likely to be effective in their leadership, then we ought to cultivate those traits.”

Should leaders keep their egos in check? Definitely. As a society, we value strength and confidence in our leaders. However, we despise unnecessary arrogance or self-grandeur – especially in our elected public servants.

Thus, in summary, I think all leaders exist on a continuum of vanity and ego. Those who stay in the middle of the continuum, or more towards the less extreme end, tend to get rewarded. Those who drift farther towards the vain or narcissistic end tend to get ridiculed and criticized.

That’s enough rambling on the subject. I’d love to have your thoughts.