We get stuck following people who dominate the discussion instead of those who elevate it. It’s not just the loudest voices who rise to lead even if they aren’t qualified. The worst babblers are the ball hogs. In many cases, the people with the poorest prosocial skills and the biggest egos end up assuming the mantle—at a great cost to teams and organizations. In a meta-analysis, highly narcissistic people were more likely to rise into leadership roles, but they were less effective in those roles.[*] They made self-serving decisions and instilled a zero-sum view of success, provoking cutthroat
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