In the bustling corridors of the modern corporate world, decisions are made, strategies are formed, and leaders are chosen. But underpinning all these visible phenomena, there is an unseen force at play – our implicit leadership theories (ILTs). These are our innate perceptions about what constitutes effective leadership, and they are shaped more by our ancestral past than by any modern management handbook.
Our ILTs are deeply ingrained in our psyche, having evolved over millennia in response to our survival needs. The evolutionary psychology approach offers a fascinating lens to examine these ILTs, shedding light on how our ancestral environment influences our leadership selection and effectiveness in present-day organisations.
We all carry with us images of what an ideal leader should look like, how they should behave, and what qualities they should possess. These images, or ILTs, are not consciously developed but are a product of our evolutionary history. They are shaped by the survival needs of our ancestors, who lived in a world where leadership meant the difference between life and death (Buss, 2009).
For instance, consider the attribute of decisiveness. Our ancestors, living in a hostile environment, needed leaders who could make quick and firm decisions in the face of imminent threats. Fast forward to the present day, and decisiveness is still prized in leaders, even though the threats they face are more likely to come from market forces than from predators.
Similarly, our ancestors needed leaders who could foster unity and cooperation within the group, as this increased their chances of survival. This has translated into a preference for leaders who can build and maintain high-performing teams in today’s organisations.
But these evolutionary influences on our ILTs are not without their challenges. For instance, our preference for assertive and dominant leaders, a throwback to our need for protection in a dangerous environment, might not serve us well in a world that increasingly values collaboration and emotional intelligence in leadership.
Furthermore, our ILTs can also lead to biases in leadership selection. For instance, we might unconsciously favour leaders who display traits that were beneficial in our ancestral environment but are not necessarily relevant or desirable in a modern organisational context.
The evolutionary psychology approach to ILTs, therefore, offers valuable insights for decision-makers in organisations. By understanding the evolutionary roots of our leadership perceptions, we can make more informed choices about who we select as leaders and how we evaluate their effectiveness.
This understanding can also help us challenge and reshape our ILTs, to ensure they are fit for purpose in the contemporary organisational landscape. For instance, we can consciously cultivate a broader appreciation of leadership qualities that are relevant today, such as emotional intelligence and inclusivity, even if these were not significant in our ancestral environment.
In essence, our ILTs, shaped by our evolutionary past, continue to exert a powerful influence on leadership in modern organisations. But by understanding these influences, we can harness the wisdom of our ancestors while also adapting to the demands of the present. So, as decision-makers, let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery and transformation, guided by the insights from evolutionary psychology.
References:
Buss, D.M. (2009). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind. Boston, MA: Pearson.
