I stumbled across ‘The Dark Triad’ recently and it introduced me to a third malevolent personality- the Machiavellian. We’ve all heard of narcissism and psychopathy. Have you heard of Machiavellianism? Here’s how Wikipedia defines all three:

• Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulation and exploitation of others, a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception.^[11]
• Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy.^[10]
• Psychopathy is characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness.^[12]

And, here’s more on Machiavellianism:

Machiavellianism is “the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct”.^[1] The word comes from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe (The Prince), among other works.

In modern psychology, Machiavellianism is characterized by a duplicitous interpersonal style, a cynical disregard for morality and a focus on self-interest and personal gain.^[2]

There’s no ‘solve’ or positive working relationship that can come from sticking it out with these personalities – especially psychopaths and Machiavellians. The best outcomes are those when the individual is able to identify the personality and then swiftly move on. The positive is in the knowledge gained from the experience.