Narcissism is widely understood as being as a trait that is commonly found in leaders, but also a characteristic that is frequently a source of problems for their organizations. However, there is accumulating consensus in the organizational literature that, rather than a necessary evil, narcissism can potentially be a mixed blessing for leaders. The present study sets out to reconcile the paradoxical effects of leader narcissism by exploring when and how leader narcissism hampers or helps follower job performance. Utilizing a social cognitive approach to leadership and drawing upon the inferential model of leadership perceptions, we propose that leader effectiveness can shape followers’ dual collective leadership perceptions in response to leader narcissism and that these shared perceptions in turn influence follower job performance in opposing manners. The results of multi-wave, multi-source, and multi-level data showed that when leader narcissism was accompanied by low levels of leader effectiveness, followers collectively tended to perceive their leaders as being more narcissistic. However, when leader narcissism was accompanied by high levels of leader effectiveness, followers collectively tended to perceive their leaders as more charismatic. Followers’ dual collective leadership perceptions then mediated the joint effects of leader narcissism and leader effectiveness on follower job performance.

自恋被广泛理解为是领导者中常见的一种特质，但也是其组织经常出现问题的特征。然而，组织文献中越来越多的共识是，自恋不是领导者的祸福，而不是必要的恶魔。本研究着手探讨领导者自恋何时以及如何阻碍或帮助追随者的工作表现，从而调和领导者自恋的悖论效应。利用领导力的社会认知方法并利用领导力感知的推论模型，我们提出，领导者的效能可以塑造跟随者对领导者的自恋的双重集体领导观念，并且这些共享的观念反过来以相反的方式影响跟随者的工作绩效。多波，多来源和多层次数据的结果表明，当领导者自恋伴随着领导者有效性的低下时，追随者会集体倾向于认为他们的领导者更自恋。但是，当领导者的自恋与领导者的高水平领导相伴时，追随者就会集体地将他们的领导者视为更具魅力。跟随者的双重集体领导观念随后介导了领导者的自恋和领导者有效性对跟随者工作绩效的共同影响。多层次的数据表明，当领导者的自恋与领导水平的低下伴随时，追随者会集体倾向于认为他们的领导者更自恋。但是，当领导者的自恋与领导者的高水平领导相伴时，追随者就会集体地将他们的领导者视为更具魅力。跟随者的双重集体领导观念随后介导了领导者的自恋和领导者有效性对跟随者工作绩效的共同影响。多层次的数据表明，当领导者的自恋与领导水平的低下伴随时，追随者会集体倾向于认为他们的领导者更自恋。但是，当领导者的自恋与领导者的高水平领导相伴时，追随者就会集体地将他们的领导者视为更具魅力。跟随者的双重集体领导观念随后介导了领导者的自恋和领导者有效性对跟随者工作绩效的共同影响。