Dark side personality characteristics have their roots in successful styles of interaction. They represent strategies of relating to others that are useful to a point – even helping elevate individuals to positions of status – but at their extreme, they become overplayed strengths.
When asked what makes a successful leader, qualities like integrity, charisma and strong interpersonal skills often top the list. These ‘bright side’ traits describe how leaders typically behave at their best and are the prime target of most personality assessments used to select and develop executives. But perhaps we should also consider the ‘dark side’ of personality, or those flawed interpersonal strategies that can cause leaders to derail.
Gillian Hyde explores further in this HR Director article.