Biology of leadership

To what extent are there connections between biology and leadership? Is there a magic formula for identifying leaders? Why do some leaders naturally inspire trust or seriousness? Who are the leaders of today? How has evolution influenced the practice of leadership in society? What will the future hold?
As part of its research activities, HLU commissioned Cloé Hercé, a leadership expert, to conduct a review of what the scientific literature says on these issues.

The objectives of the research

Leaders wield considerable influence over the direction of society. Some companies have become unassailable powers with disproportionate power, and their choices have very long-term repercussions. A better understanding of leadership thus contributes to a reflection on the direction of humanity: addressing the major challenges of the 21st century requires understanding who leads the world and how.

Leadership is a phenomenon common to all social animals, including humans. It can be studied from a sociological perspective, but also from a biological one. Research on animal leadership distinguishes four functions of the leader (directing group movements, regulating external and internal conflicts, and foraging) which can also be described through the lens of human society.

The leader guides the company and its employees in a direction.
The leader participates in an economic battle in which his company interacts with its competitors, its financiers and its business partners.
The leader has a management capacity: he manages the internal interactions within the organization.
The leader secures the resources of his organization.

In reality, these functions are often shared. This division highlights the contextual aspect of leadership. The skills expected of a leader are not the same depending on their assigned tasks, the context, and the needs of their company.

This research focuses on the biological dimension of leadership. Upon entering the corporate sphere and acting within society, no one can disregard their body, emotions, and sensations. It is the expression of our biology that impacts our actions, including the act of leading. Therefore, the study of leadership has led researchers to question the influence of biology, which manifests itself not only at the level of the leader themselves but also at the level of their followers. Indeed, a leader derives their legitimacy from those who follow them. Each follower holds beliefs about leadership, particularly regarding its biological determinants, which are partly dictated by ancient needs whose evolutionary traces remain.

Several publications will allow us to explore the following major themes:

What is the overall objective of the research? What are the four main functions of leaders? What methodology did we use?

Are there biological determinants of leadership? If so, what are they? This fact sheet analyzes what the scientific literature says about physical traits, hormonal profile, genetics and neuroscience.

An old debate

Numbering nine in total, they lead to ruthlessly prioritizing one’s personal interest.

Many behaviors associated with leadership date back to our lives in the wild.

Leaders very often refer to their intuition when making decisions. Its study is a developing field.

This work is carried out from an interdisciplinary perspective because the above questions are the subject of an important part of research in disciplines as varied as biology, evolutionary psychology, sociology, neuroscience, management and the study of organizations.