The behaviors that distinguish leaders from managers also have the potential to create organizational problems and may even result in catastrophic outcomes (Conger, 1990). In recent years, negative leader traits and behaviors—such as narcissism (Braun, 2017), abusive supervision (Tepper, 2007), and toxic leadership effects (Padilla, Hogan, & Kaiser, 2007) have increasingly been recognized as constituting the “dark side” of leadership. A more comprehensive understanding of dark leadership requires examining leaders, followers, and the relational dynamics that emerge between them (Braun et al., 2018). Nevertheless, it is first useful to conceptualize this dark side through the lens of personality characteristics. Personality can be approached through two complementary constructs: identity (how individuals perceive themselves) and reputation (how others perceive them). The dark side of leaders is best understood as the dark side of reputation. In contrast to the bright side, which reflects the favorable first impressions individuals create, the dark side consists of dysfunctional behavioral tendencies that surface when individuals are at their worst and shape the negative impressions they leave on others. These maladaptive tendencies undermine a leader’s ability to fulfill one of the core functions of leadership—building and sustaining an effective team (Hogan & Kaiser, 2005).

Leadership—defined in terms of individual traits, behavioral patterns, interaction dynamics, role relationships, follower expectations, influence on followers, influence on task accomplishment, and impact on organizational culture (Yukl, 1989, p. 252) will be examined here with respect to its negative, destructive, toxic, or dark dimensions. This section on the leader's dark side is informed by studies on personality traits, generational differences in leadership evaluations, follower characteristics and leader–follower relationships, and ethical leadership as a countervailing force to the Dark Triad.

Whereas the “bright” side of leadership often portrays leaders as heroic figures, the dark side may be more effectively understood through the lens of the “antihero.” Accordingly, this section also incorporates examples from cinema to illuminate leadership dynamics by drawing on the narrative power of antiheroic characters.