What is Personality?
Personality refers to a lasting, steady pattern of how a person thinks, feels and acts. It is shaped by a mix of inherited (genetic) and environmental influences, such as consistency in parenting. Personality is usually divided into two parts: Temperament, which describes a person’s mood and general state of being, and Traits, which describe the particular characteristics that capture how someone behaves across different situations.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are distinctive patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that cause harm to the individual and/or to others. They carry a cost for the community and can create significant distress through erratic and harmful behaviour. An estimated three percent of the general population experience a personality disorder, while rates have been shown to range from fifty to eighty percent in some prison populations.
Personality in the Workplace
Research in workplace settings shows that personality affects a range of outcomes, including: creativity and innovation, the ability to work in a team, ownership and accountability, commitment and loyalty, the ability to manage stress and conflict, communication and assertiveness, the pursuit of goals and ability to complete tasks, and the capacity for empathy, understanding and reflection. Although the prevalence of personality disorders across the workplace remains unknown, recent attention has highlighted the significant impact of dark personality traits on business. Personality traits sit on a spectrum: some lead to altruistic tendencies, while others can result in self-centred and selfish behaviour. Because of this, there is an optimal zone of personality traits. At one end are features known as the Light Triad, characterised by faith in humanity, a belief in goodness, the desire to serve others and the intention to do good. At the other end are traits described as the Dark Triad, including manipulation, cheating, ruthlessness, callousness and a general disregard for others. At the problematic end of the spectrum are personality traits that often cause a variety of issues within the workplace. These problematic traits can include: grandiosity and absorption, distrust and suspicion, emotional reactivity and a tendency for drama, antagonism and aggression, a lack of empathy and concern for others, manipulation and deceit, tactical and coercive styles of engagement, entitlement and self-centredness, and obsession and fixation.
Recognising where traits fall on the spectrum can help organisations think more carefully about team dynamics, communication and conflict. Understanding the difference between the Light Triad and the Dark Triad offers a useful starting point for spotting problematic patterns early and responding to them constructively.