#47: Why Narcissists Rise to Power and What Self-Aware Leaders Do Differently

The StoryBrand Podcast

StoryBrand.com

Marketing, Story, Bmsu, Businessmadesimple, Brand, Business, Bms, Storybrand, Entrepreneurship, 474622, Storytelling

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 November 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Leadership success often hinges on a trait many people misunderstand: self-awareness. In today's fast-paced world, leaders are surrounded by noise: social media flattery, AI-generated validation, and constant feedback loops that create more confusion than clarity. And while confidence is essential, when it crosses into narcissism, the fallout can be devastating. Think Enron, Lehman Brothers, or any organization led by someone blind to their own flaws. Narcissistic leaders may get results, but the cost is often burnout, chaos, and shattered trust. So how do you know if you're headed down that path? And what does true, effective leadership actually look like in a world addicted to ego boosting?

This week, Don and Kyle sit down with leadership advisor and former White House speechwriter Les Corba to unpack the nuances between healthy confidence and dangerous self-absorption. You'll learn how to spot narcissistic messaging, build trust, foster honest feedback, and create a culture of self-awareness, starting with yourself. Listen in to discover how to lead with the kind of self-awareness that earns real trust and has a lasting impact.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to The Story Brand podcast based on Donald Miller's best-selling book,
0:06.0	Building a Story Brand.
0:07.6	The Story Brand framework is made up of seven key elements.
0:11.8	All of them anchored in one powerful idea.
0:14.5	Your customer is the hero, and you are their guide.
0:18.1	Each week on the podcast, you'll get exactly what you need to craft clear messaging that connects with more customers and grows your business.
0:25.5	Now let's dive in with your hosts, Donald Miller and Kyle Reed.
0:33.7	Today we're talking with my old friend, Les Chorba.
0:37.1	He's a leadership advisor, former White House
0:39.1	speech writer, and trusted voice in the worlds of awareness and trust. For decades,
0:44.1	Les has helped CEOs, boards, and public figures see themselves more clearly so they can
0:48.5	lead and communicate with greater clarity and conviction. He's also the author of Trust and
0:53.6	his newest book, Aware, The Power of
0:56.3	of Seeing Yourself Clearly. This book explores how true leadership and effective messaging
1:00.8	begins with self-awareness. I don't think anything could be more important than being
1:06.2	self-aware, not just in leadership less, but in life. I want to talk about the messages that reveal somebody is a narcissist.
1:13.6	You know, we live in a world where everybody, I feel like, is just beginning to understand
1:18.6	narcissism and its dangers.
1:21.6	There are narcissistic leaders who get enormous amounts of great things done at the cost probably of everybody's sanity
1:29.0	who's anywhere close to them but it's it's a mixed bag and you've worked with a lot of
1:35.6	just high D alpha male type A leaders you've probably worked with a lot of narcissists
1:42.1	we won't ask you to name names.
	...

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