While destructive leaders and psychopaths / sociopaths in the workplace are critical issues, this article is hot garbage in the same way that you can’t quote DSM narcissism disorder traits at people you don’t like and you can’t use Myers Briggs descriptions like horoscopes.
The defining characteristics are all so subjective (what does “extreme” external image mean? who says?) and so vague (what is gossiping vs actually describing real organizational problems? what if a middle manager really is being bullied or unsupported and they have to defend that certain things really aren’t their fault?) as to be useless and dangerous, because you can read into this and see anyone as a “destructive leader” if you are motivated to. There’s no basis in systematic rules or data.
The defining characteristics are all so subjective (what does “extreme” external image mean? who says?) and so vague (what is gossiping vs actually describing real organizational problems? what if a middle manager really is being bullied or unsupported and they have to defend that certain things really aren’t their fault?) as to be useless and dangerous, because you can read into this and see anyone as a “destructive leader” if you are motivated to. There’s no basis in systematic rules or data.