I once had a genuinely brilliant colleague, a professional with impressive credentials. Working with them, however, was exhausting. Their need for constant validation, unwillingness to accept feedback, and constant deflecting of blame meant everyone walked around on eggshells. Rather than working collaboratively toward solutions, they preferred blowing everything up through scorching interactions that left damaged relationships and projects. These behaviors rippled outward, affecting not just our professional collaborations but ultimately impacting the students and communities we were meant to serve. Sound familiar?

As someone who has dedicated my career to promoting student well-being, I've observed how adults with narcissistic traits in positions of authority can profoundly affect not just the other adults who must interact with them, but the young people caught in the middle. Whether these individuals are school leaders, coaches, community officials, or even political........

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