sity paralyze him, even if he had been backed into a corner, as he ultimately was. It also would be wrong to assume that Armstrong and Walter were cut from the same cloth. Armstrong had far greater depth. While not an intellectual, he was highly intelligent, understood technology at both a practical and a conceptual level, and could more than hold his own in a discussion of global macroeconomic issues. He had a steel- trap mind for numbers, and he understood the subsurface hydraulics Tough Calls of financial statements. He was also tireless, regularly putting in twelve- to fifteen-hour days five days a week and spending good chunks of the weekend on conference calls. By comparison, John Wal- ter was a cardboard cutout. Dealing with Narcissists Maccoby's article offered practical advice for dealing with a productive narcissist, ranging from consistently empathizing with his feelings to letting him take credit for your ideas and ignoring any requests of his that don't make sense, as you can be confident that he will forget them. But his most helpful advice was to find a narcissistic boss's sidekick, the one person whom he listens to and who keeps him grounded in reality. Such a person often becomes an extension of the narcissist, but is infinitely more approachable. No one can apply for this role (and one wonders who would), but Maccoby's research suggests that many productive narcissists choose just such a person to define the operational requirements of their vi- sion and to anchor their more soaring flights of fancy. Chosen well, a sidekick can reinforce a narcissistic leader's strengths and compensate for the leader's weaknesses. But it can work the other way too: Some sidekicks reinforce narcis- sists' most dangerous tendencies, feed their fantasies, and carry out their wishes whether or not those wishes make sense. And because narcissists are SO self-confident, they can also be undermined by peo- ple who lack the courage to confront them, but are clever enough to manipulate them. Armstrong's sidekicks came in