We asked psychologists to break down the toxic leadership styles of the Roy family on 'Succession' to help you deal with the narcissistic bosses you might encounter in real life

Kendall Roy — the oblivious martyr, the wannabe woke visionary, but still the best of his siblings — is forever in daddy's shadow. Last season, we saw Kendall (Jeremy Strong) at his most fragile.

"It is quite Freudian in the sense that his father is his nemesis and inner demon. He wants to be him, or at least take his role. However, due to his lack of charisma, neuroticism, and volatility, he is both sloppy and self-destructive," said Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor of business psychology at University College London and a faculty member at Columbia University.

Chamorro-Premuzic classifies Kendall as an "insecure narcissist," which he says is a very common type of narcissistic boss. Think Michael Scott and David Brent of "The Office." "Kendall wants to think highly of himself but isn't sure, so needs constant reassurance," he said.

At the end of season two, we saw how Kendall longed for people to see him as a good guy for taking a stand against his father. But when it all came to nothing, he was lost and alone. "I'm better than you," he told Logan over a tense dinner.

Bosses like Kendall require a delicate touch, Chamorro-Premuzic said. Don't let them steal your ideas and take credit for your work. "You would need to reassure him, nurture him, and give him guidance," he said. "He's a bit like a child in need of love."

The only daughter, Siobhan "Shiv'' Roy (played by Sarah Snook) is highly intelligent, manipulative, and shrewd. You want to root for Shiv. As Waystar Royco got caught up in a federal investigation for its violently misogynistic culture, installing Shiv as CEO seemed to make sense. But then again, she's a pretty terrible feminist icon. Shiv is the character we've seen most corrupted by power, abandoning her morals to please her father.

"Shiv is constantly playing a game of cat and mouse with male approval and love," Hokemeyer said. "She manifests her narcissism by throwing anyone under the proverbial bus to get her way."

Bosses like Shiv are highly seductive. They use their charms, intelligence, confidence, and physical attractiveness as bait to lure you into their web, Hokemeyer said. "Once there, however, they will act out in ways that might make you betray your morals and standards and become someone who, at your core, you're not."

To manage them, you'll need to be constantly on your guard. Be careful, protect yourself, and document everything, advised Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist and author of the book, "Don't You Know Who I Am? How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility."

"Working for Shiv would be the equivalent of getting recruited into a very malignant cult," she said. "You'd need to be clear on your moral limits so you can step away when necessary."

The youngest brother, Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin), is sniveling, reckless, and creepy. He's careless and impulsive; he's a prisoner of his own hedonism, the master of the sexualized insult, and foolish and arrogant enough to text unsolicited pornographic selfies to colleagues.

He is also, according to Hokemeyer, a classic narcissist: a young, beautiful man worshiping his own reflection in a pool of water. "He's obsessed with everything that glitters, and he measures worth by appearances," he said. "He's incapable of having an intimate relationship with another human being and will tolerate others only so long as they are giving him the pleasure of providing some sort of elevation to his subterranean self-esteem."

Bosses like Roman need to see their glory reflected back from you, he said. They want sycophants and toadies. To them, you are nothing more than a mirror that shows them how attractive, rich, and powerful they are — or believe themselves to be. Flattery will get you everywhere.

"They cannot tolerate anyone who may outshine them," Hokemeyer said. "There is only one king, and it's them not you."

The firstborn Connor Roy (lan Ruck) is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of what children of narcissists are really like, according to Daniel Fox, a licensed psychologist, and author of "The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook."

"Connor is what narcissists typically breed: With parents who are all about 'me, me, me,' most children end up drained of self-confidence and with an underlying sense of inferiority and self-doubt," he said.

Fox said Connor is a covert narcissist. On the one hand, he has grandiose expectations of achievement: Note that he's running for president without any political chops and producing plays on Broadway with no theatrical experience or know-how. But on the other hand, he's fragile and uncertain. He's never truly been in the running for the CEO role, and he is a joke to his siblings and father.

Bosses like Connor have low self-esteem. They're delicate, sensitive to criticism, and often have streaks of paranoia. They're always looking behind their back, he said. As a result, you need to be predictable and follow through on what you say you're going to do. Build their trust.

"In a safe way, you need to communicate: I am here to help you," Fox said.

Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) is a codependent narcissist, Durvasula said. He appears to derive his self-esteem from being a part of the Roy family and his marriage to Shiv. He is the one to betray his wife and take Logan's side to maintain his position. We didn't see that one coming, and that's what's so scary about his narcissism.

We know what it's like to work for Tom because we see how he belittles and bullies his underling, Greg (Nicholas Braun). Tom's strange affection for Greg is about control: He throws water bottles at him one minute, and the next he lovingly says, "I would castrate and marry you in a heartbeat," — whatever that tells you about his sanity.

"Tom shows flashes of empathy, and perhaps at some level he identifies Greg's subordinate position, but it's clear that at any time, Tom will throw Greg under the bus," Durvasula said. "Those moments of niceness are what confuse people about narcissistic relationships: They can lull you into thinking you're in a real relationship with someone."

"Working for the Toms and Shivs of the world is a grooming process: They slowly bring you into their exploitative and self-serving worlds, and your moral compass slowly goes out of whack," she said.

"To work for them is to be a sacrificial lamb."