Shedding Light on ‘The Dark Triad: Psychopaths, Narcissists and Machiavellians in the Workplace’, an interview with Dr Brendan Coleman and Professor Victor Dulewicz

Welcome to this special interview hosted by GFB, where we explore the intersection of psychology, leadership, and organisational performance. Today, we’re joined by Dr Brendan Coleman and Professor Victor Dulewicz, co-authors of the recently published book ‘The Dark Triad: Psychopaths, Narcissists and Machiavellians in the Workplace’.

1.    What inspired you to write this book, and why now?

Both of us have experienced the presence of the Dark Triad (DT) in the workplace. For the first author it triggered a curiosity that drove research culminating in a doctoral thesis and this book. Our goal is to share knowledge and equip others with tools to navigate environments where DT traits are prevalent, blending research with real-world examples.

The Dark Triad is no longer an abstract academic concept. In recent years, high-profile examples of toxic leadership in politics, business, and public life have pushed these behaviours into the spotlight.

Our own research, using Google Insights, shows that there is a dramatic surge in search activity. We believe that several factors have contributed to this surge.

• Political Turmoil: Increasing analysis of authoritarian leaders through the lens of Dark Triad traits, particularly during the Trump presidency and global right-wing populism.

• Social Media Influence: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram influencers amplified discussions about narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism in personal relationships, especially within the self-help and mental health communities.

• Workplace Toxicity: The COVID-19 pandemic led to discussions on corporate leadership and toxic work cultures, with increased scrutiny on manipulative and narcissistic executives. HR professionals, boards, and employees increasingly recognise that these traits can quietly corrode culture, trust, and performance.

Currently, search volume remains elevated, suggesting that public interest in Dark Triad traits is no longer a passing fad but a well-established part of mainstream discussions. The prevalence of these terms in discussions on leadership and workplace culture ensures continued engagement. The psychological community continues to expand research on the topic, linking Dark Triad traits to new domains such as online behaviour, artificial intelligence, ethics, and hybrid work environments (these are workplaces combining both remote and in-person working) and this shift brings new opportunities and challenges in detecting and managing Dark Triad behaviours). We believe that managers and organisations now share this interest, hence the commissioning of our book, targeted at managers, professionals, and university students.

2.    You describe the Dark Triad as “chillingly functional.” Why do you think these traits are so effective in corporate environments, and what makes them so difficult to detect?

They are effective because DT traits allow individuals to fly below the radar—they blend in socially while exploiting others strategically. Their charm, calculated manipulation, and callousness often go unnoticed because they can behave normally when it serves them. They are difficult to detect because they excel at impression management and operate in ways that evade detection by typical corporate controls. What are some of the ways?

Charm and Surface Likeability

• Many DT individuals (especially narcissists and corporate psychopaths) are superficially charming, charismatic, and socially skilled.

• They know how to make strong first impressions and win over decision-makers early on.

• They often say the “right” things, flatter powerful people, and create alliances that shield them from scrutiny.

Flying below the radar

• DT individuals don’t behave badly all the time — they know when to appear compliant and cooperative.

• They will “play nice” when senior leaders or external stakeholders are watching, while engaging in manipulative, bullying, or exploitative behaviour when no one is looking. This duality is confusing for colleagues and allows them to maintain plausible deniability.

Mask of Sanity

Many corporate psychopaths mimic normal human behaviour — they observe how others act empathetically and copy it when needed. This makes it hard for casual observers to detect their true lack of empathy or callousness. Colleagues may sense “something is off” but struggle to articulate it because the individual seems normal on the surface.

Manipulation

Machiavellians, in particular, exploit political dynamics, organisational silos, and ambiguity in roles or reporting lines.

• They insert themselves into informal networks of power and build alliances that protect them from accountability.

• They are adept at using the organisation’s own structures to confuse or undermine those who might expose them.

Targeted Impression Management

• Dark Triad individuals know who matters — they are very careful to impress their own bosses or external stakeholders.

• Meanwhile, they may treat peers and subordinates poorly, counting on the fact that these people’s feedback will not reach senior leadership unless proper mechanisms (like 360 feedback or whistleblowing) are in place.

3. How do you distinguish between someone with strong leadership traits and someone exhibiting Dark Triad behaviours?

Strong leaders balance ambition with ethics and empathy. DT individuals may show confidence and drive, but they often lack empathy, exhibit manipulativeness, and pursue power for its own sake.

The "bright side" (vision, drive) can mask a "dark side" (callousness, unethical behavior), which often emerges later. We should remember that we all have a dark side to our personalities which often shows when we are off our guard, tired or under-stress. This is sometimes referred to as a “strength overdone”. The key questions then are, how aware are we of these tendencies? How can we control them?

4. At GFB, we’re passionate about using psychometrics to support better hiring and development. How can tools like the Hogan Development Survey help identify Dark Triad traits early?

This question picks up where the last answer ends. The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) was specifically designed to measure dysfunctional tendencies that may emerge in otherwise "normal" working adults — particularly under stress, pressure, or fatigue.

The HDS has been shown to be psychometrically valid (it does what it claims to do — and does it reliably and accurately) and is appropriate for a ‘normal’ population. It has been cross validated with the other widely used clinical personality disorder scales and has acceptable reliability (the measure is stable, repeatable, and internally consistent). The HDS gives organisations a practical, research-backed way to assess Dark Triad traits early within mainstream leadership and talent processes — without requiring complex clinical assessments and can be used by practicing managers.

By mapping DT traits to specific HDS scales and deriving a composite score, companies can identify derailers early and act proactively to preserve healthy culture, trust, and performance. As such, managers can be trained to apply and interpret results quickly using a single tool.

We can conclude with confidence that nine of the eleven HDS scales map to at least one of the Dark Triad traits. Six HDS scales map onto Machiavellianism (Excitable, Skeptical, Reserved, Leisurely, Bold and Mischievous) five onto psychopathy (Skeptical, Bold, Mischievous, Colorful and Imaginative) and four onto narcissism (Cautious, Bold, Mischievous and Imaginative). Two scales, Bold and Mischievous, map onto all three DT profiles, while two others, Skeptical and Imaginative, map onto two DT profiles. The remaining two HDS scales of Diligent and Dutiful were not found to be related to the DT.

GFB now offer a service to produce Dark Triad scores from HDS and a report describing these.

5. You mention the value of 360-degree feedback. What makes this method particularly effective in spotting toxic behaviours?

A 360-degree appraisal system is one of the most powerful tools for detecting toxic behaviours — including those linked to Dark Triad traits — precisely because it gathers feedback from a full range of people affected by an individual’s behaviour, not just their direct manager.

One of the key challenges in identifying the Dark Triad at work is that DT individuals are highly skilled at managing upward — impressing senior leaders and external stakeholders — while treating peers, subordinates, and even customers quite differently. 360 feedback surfaces this hidden impact, providing a much more complete and accurate picture of an individual’s true leadership and behavioural style.

6. You discuss the “toxic triangle” of destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. How can organisations break this cycle before it becomes embedded?

The toxic triangle consists of:

• Destructive leaders (often with Dark Triad traits)

• Susceptible followers (who enable or align with the toxic leader)

• Conducive environments (cultures or systems that tolerate or even reward toxic behaviours)

Toxic behaviours can quickly become normalised, corroding team dynamics, employee wellbeing, and organisational reputation. To break this cycle before it becomes embedded, organisations could intervene across all three sides of the triangle — not just focus on the leader.

Promote ethical leadership from the start

• Many toxic triangles begin with unethical or narcissistic leaders being promoted because they drive short-term results.  To promote ethical leadership from the start, organisations should:

• Embed ethical behaviour and emotional intelligence (tests are available on GFB’s platform) as non-negotiable leadership competencies.

• Use 360-degree feedback and tools like the Hogan Development Survey to screen leadership candidates for Dark Triad traits.

• Include questions about integrity, humility, empathy, and collaborative behaviour in interviews and assessments.

• Hold leaders visibly accountable for both what they achieve and how they achieve it — outcomes and behaviours must be equally weighted in appraisals

Build Cultures of Accountability

A conducive environment is one where toxic behaviour is tolerated, ignored, or rewarded. Our book stresses that organisational culture is key to enabling or resisting DT behaviours. This can be achieved by:

• Making ethical leadership an explicit part of the culture (not just in values posters, but in hiring, promotion, and public recognition).

• Establishing clear behavioural expectations and a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, bullying, or manipulation.

• Include cultural fit and ethical behaviour in performance reviews, promotion decisions, and bonus calculations.

• Regularly audit your culture through employee surveys and independent reviews, looking for early warning signs of toxicity.

  
  

Give the individual the means to speak out

Susceptible followers can either:

• Become active enablers of toxic leaders

• Become silent bystanders — afraid to challenge behaviours they know are wrong.

How to intervene?

• Implement and promote safe, anonymous channels for whistleblowing — and back this up with real protections.

• Use 360 feedback to give peers and subordinates a voice in evaluating leadership behaviour.

• Offer training on psychological safety and encourage team members to challenge behaviours that don’t align with organisational values.

• Build a culture where raising concerns is seen as a sign of loyalty to the organisation, not disloyalty to a leader.

  
  

Screen and Monitor for DT Traits Continuously.

Organisations must be vigilant and proactive across the employee lifecycle.

How to intervene?

Use validated tools (like the Hogan Development Survey) to identify Dark Triad tendencies early in hiring and again at key transition points (e.g. before promotions to leadership).

• Build coaching and development plans for individuals who show “bright side” strengths (e.g. charisma, boldness) but elevated DT risk, helping them manage these tendencies constructively.

• If necessary, remove individuals whose behaviour is irredeemably toxic — even if they are high performers in the short term.

• Watch out for evidence on leaders who achieve results but leave behind high attrition, stress, or cultural damage.

7. You talk about the importance of ethical leadership. How can organisations build this into their culture from the top down?

To some extent, we have already addressed this question earlier in this interview. Leaders must model ethical behaviour visibly and consistently. Ethics must be embedded in leadership development, hiring, performance management, and recognition systems. Organisations should provide training, enforce policies rigorously, and ensure that ethics drive decision-making, not just profits

8. What role does emotional intelligence play in mitigating the impact of Dark Triad traits in leadership?

Earlier in this interview, we were asked how are individuals aware of DT tendencies and what can they do about them? High emotional intelligence (EI) includes greater empathy, impulse control, and ethical behaviour. Individuals with high EI are more aware of their feelings and more skilled at managing their own darker impulses and resisting manipulation. Encouraging EI development in leaders and teams can counteract the influence of DT individuals and promote healthier workplaces. Those with above-average DT scores should undergo an EI development programme.

9. How can organisations balance the need to develop high-potential individuals who may exhibit some Dark Triad traits, without enabling toxic behaviour?

Some DT traits (e.g., calculated risk-taking, confidence) can drive short-term success but must be managed carefully. Organisations should monitor for toxic expressions of these traits via 360 feedback and coaching, set clear behavioural expectations, and ensure that performance appraisals include ethical behaviour metrics—not just results.

10. What future research or tools would you like to see developed to help organisations better manage the risks associated with Dark Triad traits?

We advocate the application of the Hogan Development Survey (HDS) to help identify the Dark Triad in the workplace in conjunction with other measures such as the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) which measures the bright side of personality, which enables a more complete and rounded personality profile. Other more specific measures of psychopathy in the workplace, such as the Business Scan 360, require further application to assess effectiveness. 

11. If you could give one piece of advice to CEOs or boards about managing the Dark Triad in their leadership pipeline, what would it be?

Make ethical leadership a non-negotiable criterion for promotion and selection. Use validated tools, such as the HDS, to assess DT risk early and throughout careers, and act decisively when toxic behaviours emerge. Prevention is far more effective than remediation when it comes to DT-driven dysfunction.

If you are interested in finding out more about how GFB can help, please visit Hogan Development Survey (HDS) and 360 degree feedback or get in touch, info@gfbgroup.com

The Dark Triad: Psychopaths, Narcissists and Machiavellians in the Workplace by Dr Brendan Coleman and Professor Victor Dulewicz will be released on 17th July 2025 and is available from Amazon.co.uk

About the Authors

Professor Victor Dulewicz and Dr Brendan Coleman are well regarded associates and friends of GFB. Victor Dulewicz is co-author of the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ) and Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire (LDQ) which are both available on the GFB platform and Brendan Coleman is subject matter expert advising on the presence of the Dark Triad in the workplace.

Brendan Coleman is the Managing Consulting Partner at BCA Assessment and Development Consultancy. He helps organisations identify and reduce the risks associated with Dark Triad traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—in the workplace. Drawing on both research and practical experience, he supports businesses by training leaders to spot and manage toxic behaviours, encouraging open reporting cultures, and refining recruitment practices to screen out high-risk candidates.

Victor Dulewicz is Managing Partner of VDA Assessment and Development Consultants and Emeritus Professor at Henley Business School where he had been Head of HRM & OB and Director of the Centre for Board Effectiveness. Previously, he had worked as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist for Rank Xerox, the Civil Service Department and STC Telecoms Group. He has developed numerous psychometric tests and questionnaires and co-authored five books, including Psychological Testing – A Manager’s Guide; Making Sense of Emotional Intelligence and Leading with Emotional Intelligence. He has also written over 150 articles and presented at numerous national and international conferences. He is a Fellow of both the British Psychological Society and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.