Narcissism At Work23 Jun 2025

What Is Narcissism?

In our first episode, we unpack one of the most misused words in modern psychology: narcissism, and explain how it shows up in the workplace. While the term is often thrown around, we dig beneath the surface with expert insight from Clinical Psychologist Dr. Daksha Hirani, who has 25+ years of experience supporting people impacted by narcissistic abuse.

We explore:

What narcissism really means (and what it doesn’t)
The difference between narcissistic traits and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)
Why workplaces, especially high-achieving or high-pressure ones, can become fertile ground for narcissistic behaviour
The origins of the term "gaslighting" (and why it still matters today)
Key research, including the Wolchyk and Antonella Somma studies
How narcissistic abuse affects your mental health, including symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, as outlined by the World Health Organisation
Examples of narcissistic dynamics at work
Coping strategies like Grey Rocking and Yellow Rocking (and how they differ)
How narcissists mirror and manipulate
The long-term emotional and psychological toll of working under or alongside narcissistic individuals

Whether you're dealing with a narcissistic boss, co-founder, or colleague, this episode gives you language, clarity, and a starting point for healing.

Connect with Other Box: otherbox.co/podcast for further resources | @otherbox

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Narcissism At Work is a co-production from Other Box and Breaking Atoms.

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Episoder(18)

Listener Letter: Meet Jay

What happens when harm comes from someone you expected to feel safest with? When your shared identity becomes the very weapon used against you? In this final Listener Letter, Jay shares the story of h...

14 Aug 202514min

How to build healthy inclusive workplaces

In our final episode, we explore what it actually means to build a healthy workplace, shifting our focus from toxic behaviours to constructive solutions. We welcome back clinical psychologist Dr. Daks...

11 Aug 202553min

Listener Letter: Meet Dani

In this week’s Listener Letter, we meet Dani, who shares their experience of a working relationship that spanned eight years, one that began in mutual respect and creative fire, and slowly devolved in...

7 Aug 202512min

Boundaries, Burnout and Breaking Free from Toxic Workplaces: How to Protect Yourself Against Narcissists

What happens when trying to protect yourself at work gets twisted into “not being a team player”? Or when being firm gets labelled as “aggressive”?In Episode 7 of Narcissism At Work, Leyya and Dr. Dak...

4 Aug 202535min

Listener Letter: Meet Faisa

In this bonus episode, Faisa writes in as a manager whose confidence was shattered by a direct report who consistently blurred the line between vulnerability and manipulation. From rejecting basic fee...

31 Jul 202511min

The Mental and Physical Toll of Working with a Narcissist

Have you ever left a job feeling like a shell of yourself—anxious, exhausted, second-guessing everything, and unsure how it got so bad?In this episode of Narcissism at Work, Leyya and Clinical Psychol...

28 Jul 202538min

Listener Letter: Meet Hannah

In this Listener Letter, we hear from Hannah, a former employee who found herself working under the same narcissistic CEO twice, a decade apart.At first, she returned believing things would be differe...

24 Jul 202514min

Is HR complicit?

Have you ever dealt with an HR team that protects toxic leaders and silences the people they hurt? In this episode of Narcissism at Work, we explore how narcissism can show up not just in individuals ...

21 Jul 202541min