What so-called “nightmare traits” can tell us about who gets promoted at work

It’s a common observation in the workplace: some people who seem disagreeable, disorganized, or even dishonest manage to climb the corporate ladder. At the same time, highly agreeable and conscientious individuals also find their way into leadership roles. This apparent paradox raises a question about which personality traits actually lead to career advancement.

A study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences sought to bring data to this question. Researchers investigated a collection of personality traits sometimes called the “Three Nightmare Traits” to see how they relate to an employee’s position in a company hierarchy. Their analysis suggests a complex picture where, in some cases, both the “good” and the “bad” can achieve success.

A Question of Socialization and Ambition

The investigation was motivated by a gap in understanding how certain personality configurations affect careers. Researchers Jessica Kottirre and Gerhard Blickle from the University of Bonn, along with Andreas Wihler from the University of Exeter Business School, wanted to explore a specific concept known as the Three Nightmare Traits, or TNT.

Psychology of Selling

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter for the latest insights.

Name

Email

This concept groups three characteristics: disagreeableness, carelessness, and dishonesty. A person with high levels of these traits might be described as inflexible and overly critical; sloppy and impulsive; or insincere and greedy. Taken together, these traits can be seen as a measure of what researchers call “unsuccessful socialization,” which reflects a person’s tendency not to follow accepted social rules due to a lack of self-control.

The research team combined this idea with another concept from personality psychology called “fearless dominance.” This trait is a blend of high extraversion, low emotionality, and a tendency to take risks. People high in fearless dominance are often described as bold, persuasive, and resilient to stress. It is a personality profile associated with a drive to get ahead.

The central question was how these two concepts might work together. The researchers wanted to know if the career effects of fearless dominance would change based on a person’s level of the Three Nightmare Traits. They proposed that a person’s degree of socialization, as indicated by their TNT score, might alter the outcome of their ambition.

Designing the Investigation

To investigate this relationship, the team designed a study involving employees of a single company. They recruited 285 salespeople and managers from a nationwide apparel department store chain in Germany. This choice of a single company ensured that the different job titles and hierarchical levels were consistent and directly comparable.

Each participant completed an online survey. The survey included a series of questions designed to measure their personality. One set of questions assessed their levels of fearless dominance. Another set, from a widely used personality inventory called the HEXACO-60, measured their agreeableness, conscientiousness, and honesty-humility. The researchers reversed the scores for these three traits to create a combined score for the Three Nightmare Traits.

For a measure of career success, the researchers did not rely on what the participants said about their jobs. Instead, they obtained objective, archival data directly from the company’s human resources department. This data provided each participant’s official hierarchical position, categorized into one of three levels: employee, department manager, or store manager.

The researchers also collected information on other factors known to influence career progression, such as gender, years of education, and length of employment with the company. They used this information as statistical controls in their analysis to isolate the effects of the personality traits they were studying.

Two Paths to the Top

The analysis began by examining the direct link between fearless dominance and job level. The data showed that individuals with higher scores in fearless dominance were indeed more likely to hold a higher position in the company hierarchy. This finding aligned with the idea that traits like boldness and risk-taking are associated with getting ahead.

Next, the analysis explored how the Three Nightmare Traits affected this connection. The results showed that the link between fearless dominance and career success depended on a person’s TNT score. For employees who had low TNT scores, meaning they were agreeable, conscientious, and honest, a high level of fearless dominance was strongly associated with a higher position.

However, for employees with high TNT scores, the pattern was different. In this group, which consisted of people who were more disagreeable, careless, and dishonest, there was no observable relationship between fearless dominance and their position in the company. Their ambition did not appear to translate into a higher rank in the same way.

The team then tested a unique prediction related to the TNT concept. They investigated whether people at the extremes of the TNT scale, both very high and very low, were more successful than those in the middle. The statistical model revealed a U-shaped relationship between the TNT score and hierarchical position.

This U-shaped curve indicated that individuals with very low TNT scores and individuals with very high TNT scores were both more likely to be in senior positions. Those with moderate scores were less likely to have advanced as far. The finding suggests that two distinct paths may lead to success: one through highly socialized behavior and another through its opposite.

The researchers performed additional analyses to see which of the three traits was driving these patterns. They found that the honesty-humility component appeared to be the most significant contributor. Both the interaction with fearless dominance and the U-shaped effect were most strongly connected to a person’s level of honesty and sincerity.

Considerations for Business and Future Research

Like all studies, this one has a specific scope. The findings come from a single company in the German apparel industry, so it is not yet known if the same patterns would appear in other industries or countries. The study was also cross-sectional, meaning it captured a single point in time. This design can identify relationships between variables, but it cannot formally prove that personality traits cause a person to be promoted.

Still, the research offers some potential considerations for businesses. The findings suggest that short personality screenings in hiring might be insufficient. The researchers note that longer, more robust assessments could provide a clearer picture of a candidate’s traits. They also suggest that organizations can create environments that limit the potential negative impact of certain personalities by establishing strong checks and balances and promoting open discussions about ethics. The use of 360-degree feedback, where an employee receives input from peers and subordinates, could also provide a more complete view of their behavior.