When working alongside a narcissist, one needs to address unsettling behavior. Here, Dr. Erin Leonard explains how to bypass a narcissist in her conversation with a client.
“Tell me exactly how to respond,” my client pleaded. She pulled her chair closer to mine, asked for a piece of paper and earnestly scribbled down notes as I was talking. Although I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks, catching up was not on her agenda. She needed immediate direction.
Two people with strong narcissistic tendencies were orbiting her planet and there was no escape. One was a family member and the other was a co-worker. At work, she was gruffly commanded to do things that were not entirely appropriate. The co-worker’s pervasive attitude seemed to be, “I’m right. You are wrong, and you will do what I say without question.” A similar attitude seemed to exist with a family member, as well.
