This research was written by O'Reilly together with UC Berkeley doctoral student Bernadette Doerr, Santa Clara University professor David F. Caldwell, and UC Berkeley professor Jennifer A. Chatman. Citing Merdeka.com, this study surveyed employees at 32 major publicly traded technology companies to identify narcissistic CEOs among them. The research conducted in 2014 was published in The Leadership Quarterly.

"O'Reilly writes that narcissism is a personality type characterized by very dominant indications, having high self-confidence, a sense of entitlement, grandiosity, and low empathy. Narcissists naturally emerge as leaders because they embody prototypical leadership qualities such as energy, self-assurance, and charisma. 'They do not care much about what others think, and depending on the narcissistic traits, they can be impulsive and manipulative,' says O'Reilly."