Research regarding the influence of personality traits, such as narcissism, on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is burgeoning, yet the role of affective and cognitive mechanisms is under-examined. Drawing from research on conservation of resources (COR) theory, entrepreneurial cognition and emotion, we examine the narcissism-EO relationship nexus. Specifically, we analyse the mediating role of the resource-induced coping heuristic (RICH) and the moderating influence of fear on the relationship between narcissism and EO. Longitudinal data from CEO-entrepreneurs of SMEs in six countries were collected during the COVID-19 disruptions. Results suggest that the RICH fully mediates the relationship between narcissism and EO. Fear of COVID-19 (FC-19) positively influenced EO and strengthened the narcissism-RICH relationship. Further, pandemic-related disruptions negatively influenced EO and attenuated the positive influence of FC-19 on EO. These findings offer insight into the drivers of entrepreneurial behaviour during times of disruption.