A Brief History of Leadership

A new idea from ancient times Today’s behaviours (what we do) are influenced by our biological history (what we were). Leadership development is possible and necessary to help us overcome our more primitive instincts.

Why study the history of leadership? To explore leadership concepts (‘map- reading’) To test leadership concepts (‘map- testing’) To develop richer personal leadership maps (‘map-making’) Map Testing Map making Map Reading

Health Warning: Anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism: ‘seeing’ human behaviour patterns in other animals; inanimate objects; and symbolic entities (Peter Rabbit; ‘Hal’; The Four Horsemen of the apocalypse …)

Our ancestors’ tale Our ancestors’ tale begins with the earliest common ancestor (‘concestor’) of all living creatures. If we search, we can find the messages from over a billion years of evolution …

Concestual links* (1) Animal concestor 1000 Million years (?) Mammals 100 Million years Lots of other Mammals Primates Homo Sapiens Herd and pack animals Reptiles 500 Million years Dynosaurs Modern lizards Birds, fish Little creepy Crawlies >500 Million years Modern ants, bees * Concestor: A shared common ancestor (‘Best estimates’ of dates)

Concestual links (2) Primate Concestor Apes Other apes Gorillas Bonobos Chimpanzees Humanoids Homo Sapiens Other Primates Monkeys Mandrills and baboons

Concestor links (3) Humanoids (3,600,000 -) Neadertals (130, ,000) Homo Sapiens (150,000 -) Hunter Gatherers (100,000 -) Agrarians (10,000 -) Industrials (200 -) Other Humanoids

Leadership: An evolutionary view The further back we go into history, the broader the definition of leadership needed The closer to our personal leadership experiences, the greater the need for stipulating context

It depends what you mean by leadership.. Influence processes Mobilizing resources to arouse, engage, satisfy the motives of followers Making sense [of what people are doing] …articulating purpose and values

Insects, instincts and information Insects behave primarily through ‘hard- wired’ instincts Scientists have developed models based on information theory Insects with valuable resource information can ‘lead’ followers to food, to safety, into battle …

Do insects show creative leadership?

Do birds show leadership?

What leadership behaviours can be seen in other animal families?

Leadership among the primates

Leadership in our closest ancestors Early hominoids Hunter gatherers Agrarian tribalism Industrial society Our informational age

Heroic Leaders Heroic Leaders New Leadership School New Leadership School Trait Theories Style and Contingenc y Theories Style and Contingenc y Theories Atavistic Prototypes Atavistic Prototypes Territorial Leaders Territorial Leaders Pack Leadershi p Collective Leadership Collective Leadership Animal Leaders (non human) Animal Leaders (non human) Animal Leaders (human) Animal Leaders (human) Thought leaders Thought leaders

Do we inherit behaviours from concestors? * Insects: Guided foraging, ‘Home’ building Birds, Fish: Flocking, Shoaling, Attraction displays, territorialism Wolves, dogs: Hunting, collaboration, learning through play(?) Horses, elephants: Matriarchal ‘schooling’ for herd conformity (Mature males isolated) Mandrills: Matriarchal large group: (Mature males isolated) Chimpanzees: Complex transactions (grooming, nurturing) provide social stability and status (‘Social capitalists’) (* Selected examples)

Toward a new idea of evolutionary leadership Leadership today has preserved residual ancient forms sustained mimetically (through leadership myths) Social and personal development permits transcendence of more primitive instincts (through consciousness and learning) We become and create ‘the leaders we deserve’

So what? ‘What’s the use of a baby?’ (Faraday) Helps explain bullying leaders (Mandrills); Charismatic influence (Peacocks); Anthropomorphism (Termites); Dysfunctional behaviours (Horses); Manipulative behaviours (Chimpanzees)