How to deal with a Machivellian boss

Manipulative, distrustful, self-serving: learning to spot the signs of a Machiavellian personality can be important in the workplace, argue Nelly Liyanagamage and Mario Fernando.

Youโ€™ve been pressured to work overtime to finish a project. You wonโ€™t get paid for the extra hours, but youโ€™ve been assured there will be kudos from senior management. There is โ€“ but only for your boss, who takes the credit.

These are signs of Machiavellianism, the dark personality trait named after the 16th century Italian political theorist who wrote the first ‘how to’ guide for rulers.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

The Conversation Australia and New Zealand is a unique collaboration between academics and journalists that in just 10 years has become the worldโ€™s leading publisher of research-based news and analysis.