Every office full of ambitious people has them. And we have all worked with at least one—the co-worker with an inexplicable ability to rise in the ranks.

"How do they do it?" we may ask ourselves or whisper to friends at work. They don't have more experience. They don't seem that brilliant.

But such co-workers may possess a dose of one of the personality traits that psychologists call the "dark triad": manipulativeness, a tendency to influence others for selfish gain; narcissism, a profound self-centeredness; or an antisocial personality, lacking in empathy or concern for others. These traits are well-known for the bad behavior that they can cause when dominant in people's personalities. At milder levels, however, they can actually foster skills that can help people rise through the ranks.

For instance, people with narcissism, who want to be the center of attention, often make a good first impression on clients and bosses, says a 2014 review of more than 140 studies on people with mild, or "subclinical," levels of dark personality traits. They also can be persuasive when pitching their own ideas.

James Albon

The Manipulator

Influences others for own gain

Dark Side: Uses flattery to influence others. Deceives others to get desired results.

Silver Lining: Skilled in negotiating, enjoys combat. Good at forming political alliances.

Manipulators influence others for their own gain, using flattery or deceit if necessary. But these personalities—also called Machiavellians—can also be charismatic leaders and forceful negotiators, says the study, in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. And while antisocial personalities lack empathy or concern for others, they can be creative because they often enjoy testing limits.

Researchers are increasingly studying the dark triad because it is "a well-organized framework for a big chunk of individual differences that are relatively unstudied, especially at work," says Seth M. Spain, lead author of the 2014 research review, and an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York. Learning to spot the traits in employees can help employers improve their career paths through training and wise job assignments.

Also, "everybody can learn from" understanding how narcissistic or manipulative people use subtle skills to gain influence, Dr. Spain says. It can also help co-workers and bosses spot extreme cases early and rein them in before they cause grumbling and discontent.

Renee LeBouef cuts short any co-workers' attempts to gossip with her since an experience with a Machiavellian manager on a previous job undermined her relationships at the office.

James Albon

Narcissist

Dark Side: Wants to be the center of attention. Uses appearance, charm to seek prestige and status.

Silver Lining: Pitches own ideas with enthusiasm, makes a good first impression.

The manager used flattery to make friends with Ms. LeBouef and other subordinates, telling them how attractive or talented they were and pressuring them to reveal personal information about themselves. The manager then used gossip to drive a wedge between co-workers, tighten her control over the team and promote herself with higher-ups, says Ms. LeBouef, a New Orleans sales and marketing manager.

Ms. LeBouef now shares only superficial details about herself—that she has a boyfriend and likes natural foods and holistic remedies—with co-workers. "They don't need to know anything further about my life outside the office," she says. She appreciates her current boss, because he shows enough interest in employees' lives to demonstrate that he cares about them, without meddling.

People with dark traits are often attractive job candidates because they display charm, assertiveness and apparent leadership ability, the research review says. Researchers believe narcissists tend to do well in training programs because they want to be seen at their best.

"It's hard to go anywhere and not find such people," says Toby Bishop of Toronto, past president of the 71,000-member Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and an independent antifraud strategy adviser. They are often skilled at making a good first impression, and "people who can talk a good talk and impress others will at least initially be respected and put in positions of authority and command by others," he says.

The flattery often used by manipulative people is helpful in getting named to corporate boards, but only if it's used skillfully, says a 2010 study. Managers who framed flattery as a request for advice, such as, "How were you able to pull off that strategy so successfully?" improved their chances of winning a director's seat, the study found.

Those who were clumsy about it, however, stating flatly, "I really admire you," or, "You're the greatest," hurt their chances, says the study of 1,822 managers, CEOs and directors in Administrative Science Quarterly.

James Albon

Antisocial Personality

Unconcerned with others' feelings or welfare

Dark Side: Impulsive and thrill-seeking, tends toward antagonism.

Silver Lining: Tends to think creatively, tests limits.

Manipulators are also skilled at forming political alliances. "One of the reasons these people climb so high in the company is that they're very forceful," says James D. Ratley, president of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

The careers of people with these characteristics tend to derail over time, in part because they tend to focus on short-term benefits for themselves rather than long-term results for their organizations. Colleagues may come to view them as hostile, harsh or arrogant, Dr. Spain says. And when present at extreme or clinical levels, these traits disrupt lives. One thing that trips people up, Mr. Ratley says: "They think the rules don't apply to them."

Mr. Ratley and other corporate accounting experts cite former HealthSouth Corp. CEO Richard Scrushy as an example of a manipulative personality who could also be forceful and persuasive. Mr. Scrushy used charisma and salesmanship to build the chain of outpatient surgery and rehab clinics he founded in 1984 into a $4 billion publicly traded giant.

"He's a classic good salesman," says Aaron Beam, a former chief financial officer at HealthSouth, and a speaker and author of a book on the experience. "He had this magical ability to get people to agree with him."

Mr. Beam says Mr. Scrushy also made life hard for employees who disagreed with him. "He would literally scream at you," belittling and berating employees at weekly staff meetings, says Mr. Beam, of Loxley, Ala. He also spent lavishly on a flamboyant lifestyle.

HealthSouth hit the rocks when regulators uncovered a $2.7 billion accounting fraud, and Mr. Scrushy was fired as CEO in 2003. Mr. Scrushy was acquitted of criminal charges in connection with the fraud, but a state court later imposed $2.88 billion in civil damages against him for fraud. Mr. Beam served three months in prison for bank fraud. Mr. Scrushy got out of prison in 2012 after serving five years in connection with a different scandal, for bribing a state official.

"I do accept responsibility that it [the accounting fraud] happened on my watch," Mr. Scrushy says in an interview, but he admits no personal wrongdoing.

He says his style was effective with underlings. "You don't manage 120 people by being a pansy," he says of his direct reports at HealthSouth. "Any CEO worth his salt has to be a little bit strong … I don't think it's a 'dark side.' It's a skill, to be able to build a business from scratch," says Mr. Scrushy, who is speaking and advising businesses.

To spot dark traits among co-workers, watch for bullying behavior, says Gary Zeune, founder of The Pros & The Cons, a speakers' bureau that enlists white-collar criminals to talk about preventing fraud.

Also, dark personalities often ingratiate themselves by appearing caring and competent. Beware of a colleague who "tries to be way too nice for what they're asking you to do," Mr. Zeune says.

Write to Sue Shellenbarger at sue.shellenbarger@wsj.com