A toxic personality often involves greed, indecency, dishonesty, and a cavalier attitude toward truth. Yet, psychologists from the University of Bonn's Department of Psychology—Dr. Mareike Kholin, Bastian Kückelhaus, and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Blickle—reveal why these individuals can still thrive professionally. The secret lies in their social skills.
Social skills are invaluable in the workplace, opening doors and easing daily stresses. However, they can also mask deception, exploit trust, or project an illusion of innocence. Dr. Kholin's team found that toxic personalities rated as socially skilled by peers were viewed as more competent by supervisors and held higher positions. “We must recognize that social skills can be a double-edged sword,” Kholin explains.
In personality assessments, toxic individuals score low on honesty and modesty. “They constantly focus on themselves,” says Blickle. “Strong social skills allow them to mislead others.” Conversely, genuinely honest and modest colleagues foster team success by sharing achievements fairly.
Low scores in honesty and modesty traits
The Bonn psychologists examined this through work teams: participants completed anonymous online surveys rating their own honesty and modesty. Peers assessed social skills, and supervisors evaluated performance. Data from 203 employee-colleague-supervisor trios confirmed the pattern.
Those with low honesty and modesty can advance if offset by social prowess, the study shows. “Deception, disguise, and deceit form the dark side of social skills,” notes Kückelhaus.
