Narcissistic leaders are part of society and take on roles that promote at times progress, at other times, chaos. This is because the narcissistic leader only cares about him or herself (Maccoby, 2012). Although such leaders may be useful in certain settings, in others, they can create long-term damage amidst subordinates and followers. Covenant leadership on the other hand generates the highest performance leaders via motivated, high-trust, and committed relationships. These leaders have a good understanding of life through successful integration of ethics and leadership, applying the private and public aspects of life into an integrated whole. The problem with covenant leadership is that it takes time to build such connections, leading to frustration and problems in the short-term. This essay hopes to examine both leadership styles and see how the narcissistic leadership style causes problems and how the covenant leadership style can offer solutions. Narcissism has its roots in the Greek myth, Narcissus. Narcissus is a young man in love with his own image reflected in a stream (Maccoby, 2012). Although a nymph named Echo, loves him, he does not care as he is in love with himself. Echo dies from the rejection and Narcissus dies from not drinking the water in the stream. This story shows how the narcissistic leader can be drawn to position and power and how this pursuit can lead to ruin.

When looking at the roots of the covenant leader, what better than the Covenant made with God. Moses, Abraham, Noah, and others have all witnessed covenants God has made with humanity and especially through his Son, Jesus Christ (Roshwald & Roshwald, 1969). Covenant represents giving and putting the needs of others first. It is indicative of a kind and nurturing relationship that allows for growth and progress (Suchorsky, 2012). These aspects of the covenant are what make covenant leadership such a positive force within leaders who execute this style. It provides leaders with the means with which to care for others and allow for the greater good of the group to be realized.

Narcissistic Leader

The narcissistic personality denotes people who need to be in control and crave attention (Klein, Rice, & Schermer, 2011). Although a bad trait, it can produce benefits. For example, because these leaders exude an exploitative nature, they can and do take advantage of others to complete an objective. This can sound callous, but regarding the necessity of completion of goals, this can be lucrative in certain settings. For example, in the business setting where profit is the most important aspect, narcissistic leaders can generate higher profits by cutting costs through lowering wages. They would also be more prone to recommend outsourcing labor leading to reduced overall expenses and higher profit margins.

Narcissistic Leaders also tend to display arrogant attitudes and inflated self-esteem that may create devotion among followers. Followers sometimes crave the leader who is confident (Klein, Rice, & Schermer, 2011). Those leaders give the appearance of skill through the guise of superiority and grandiosity. However, as God tells and warns in the Bible, those who are narcissistic are bound to yield ruin.

But understand this that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people (2 Timothy 3:1-7, ESV).

Because these leaders represent the negative traits of humanity, their selfish attitudes will lead to problems in the long-run. Some of the perceived narcissistic leaders of the past had successes initially, but then ended in turmoil like Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler (Miller & Campbell, 2013). The narcissistic leader gives of the impression that he or she is competent, but lacks the true substance of a great leader due to the plethora of negative character traits associated with narcissism. Clinical narcissism is defined as a collection of dysfunctional self-obsessions.

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Some of the problems that could arise from people who exhibit this disorder come from the utter lack of realistic perception of people and outside circumstances as well as their insatiable need to be adored and gain attention. This can lead to reckless behaviors to maintain relevance in the public eye as well as manipulation of others and delusions of grandeur (Miller & Campbell, 2013). Such lack of understanding can be detrimental to the emotional and mental health of those around them.
Still, there are a number of successful narcissistic leaders that have transformed society. Bill Gates for example, is identified as a narcissistic leader. Although he seemingly exhibits these traits, due to having a balancing sidekick he was able to create an empire that produced huge success for him and his subordinates. This is because the narcissistic leader is often highly driven to achieve. They are both assertive and confident and almost relentless in their desire to accomplish objectives.

Narcissistic leaders can also be categorized as extreme risk takers (Miller & Campbell, 2013). Such a drive for success and a willingness to go to extremes can produce positive results for the leader and the organization/team he or she leads. This is an important part of the narcissistic leader to understand. While these leaders can easily develop traits that lean more towards evil actions and chaotic relationships, such traits can also lead to great transformations. This is why this type of leader may sometimes be valued.

Covenant Leader

The covenant leader is the opposite of a narcissistic leader. A covenant leader is one who emphasizes the relationship between leaders and followers. There is no pursuit of adoration or desire to influence others. It is about the management of relationships and an understanding that each part has responsibilities and duties to each other (Hanson, 2015). Although not as popular as the narcissistic leader, the covenant leader helps develop trust and collaboration among those who exhibit or experience this leadership style.

Traits of covenant leaders include not being conceited or acting in a selfish manner, giving credit to others, aiming for ways to help build up others, and caring for the wellbeing of followers. This is seen often in the Bible with God and God's relationship to the Israelites. An example of this is Psalm 105:8. By keeping focused on the ethics and integrity of a relationship, this commitment can produce the best in people and create a kind of long-lasting success that promotes cooperation and trust (Hanson, 2015).

The organizational impact of the covenant leader can be seen in benefits and problems. Some problems that come from covenant leadership is the lack of drive towards achievement. With a focus on the quality of relationships, covenant leadership may put other things lower on the priority list (Hanson, 2015). This can be detrimental in business if a business has a deadline. While cooperation and collaboration are great things to aim for, in the short-term it may not be feasible.

One such scenario are disaster situations. These scenarios involve quick decision making, putting relationships low on the priority list. Here a narcissistic leader may shine because these leaders may be used to making quicker decisions and will be more willing to take risks whereas the covenant leader may be too preoccupied with the wellbeing of the followers.

Still, there are many benefits to the covenant leader. The first is clarity. Covenant leaders often have a higher sense of morality and ethics. They are more attuned to their values. They know what they stand for and will not let others obscure their vision. This can be seen in Exodus. Exodus shows how Moses had to lead his people out of Egypt (Roshwald & Roshwald, 1969).

Moses knew what he stood for and he knew he had to do what was best for his people. Although the trek was long and arduous, through the guidance of God and Moses' strong sense of morality and honor, he managed to get the Israelites out and escape slavery (Roshwald & Roshwald, 1969). His vision was clear and allowed for a victory over oppression.

The next aspect of the covenant leader is control. Unlike the highly unstable narcissistic leader, the covenant leader is in control. Because of the clarity of vision, these leaders know what they must do and cannot be controlled by outside influences. They are not prone to want followers or admirers. They tend to stick to their principles and objectives.

The next benefit of having a covenant leader is consistency. Their decisions remain consistent regardless of the circumstances or crises confronted. Their value systems allow them to continue making consistent choices and shows followers stability in action and thought. The last benefit is contentment.

Covenant leaders do not require adoration like narcissistic leader do. They do not need continued attention or accolades (Hanson, 2015). They are content with the decisions they make and who they are as people. Their value systems play an inherent role in how they view themselves and their…