Leadership
Title
Leadership
Author
Tecza, Adrienne
Johnson, Dominic
Research Area
Social Interactions
Topic
Primate Studies
Abstract
Historically, research on human leadership has been the sole domain of the social sciences, and has focused on the formalized role leaders have come to play in modern institutions. However, an independent yet parallel body of work has recently emerged in biology, where evolutionary theory is being used to investigate the origins and function of leader–follower dynamics in nonhuman animals. In recent years, interdisciplinary scholars in evolutionary psychology have attempted to merge these previously disparate research traditions, investigating whether the leader–follower relationships that evolved to help our species overcome challenges in the past holds insights for leadership strategies in our modern world. In this essay, we investigate the feasibility of such an interdisciplinary approach, the obstacles it faces, and the promise it holds for the future of leadership research.