Pathological narcissism isn’t just a personality flaw—it’s the number one predictor of workplace bullying.
While most people think of bullying as playground behavior, in the adult world it looks a lot more like manipulation, control, and emotional sabotage.
In fact, research shows that individuals with high levels of pathological narcissism often seek out positions of power—not to lead, but to dominate. And once they’re in those roles, they feed off intimidation, gaslighting, and watching others squirm. This isn’t just toxic—it’s dangerous. These individuals use charm as a weapon, turn teams against one another, and make accountability nearly impossible.
A 2019 study published in Heliyon identified pathological narcissism as the strongest predictor of workplace bullying behavior, confirming what many victims already knew from experience.
At The Echo Movement, we believe in calling this out for what it is: abuse. And we’re done staying silent about it.
🎥 Watch the full video to learn how to recognize these patterns and why we need systems in place that stop enabling narcissists in positions of authority.
Follow the conversation: @theechomovement on @life_with_kk
Let’s make an echo loud enough to expose the patterns — and break the silence.
Additional Sources: These studies illustrate that both pathological (clinical-level) and certain subclinical/vulnerable forms of narcissism are statistically linked to bullying behaviors in work and peer environments.
- Pathological narcissism, interpersonal cognitive distortions, and workplace bullying among nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, October 2022. In a regression analysis, pathological narcissism was the strongest predictor of workplace bullying (β = .33, p < .001) — stronger even than organizational culture factors.
- Vulnerable vs. grandiose narcissism and bullying among women. Sex Roles, 2024. Among women, vulnerable narcissism (e.g., contingent self-esteem, entitlement rage) was positively correlated with verbal, physical, and indirect bullying; in regression analyses, it uniquely predicted physical and verbal bullying.
