A revolutionary answer to the question of whether people are already born as leaders, or they become leaders in the course of life through the development of leadership skills, appeared in a study by a group of scientists from U.S. and British universities which has just been published in the Leadership Quarterly journal. It is the first study to reveal a specific genotype associated with the prerequisites to hold a leader's position.
Authors of the study called Born to lead? A twin design and genetic association study of leadership role occupancy compared genetic samples of approximately 4,000 twins with information about their career. It turned out that 24% of the differences in leadership behavior between individuals is given by genes transmitted by parents.
"We have identified a genotype, called rs4950, which appears to be associated with the passing of leadership ability down through generations,” says the lead author of the study, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve from the University College London, on the Psych Central website. The traditional belief that leadership is a skill gained through learning is still partly true according to him but genetics must now be taken seriously as well.
He added that it is necessary to continue with the research to learn more about the relationship between the rs4950 genotype and other factors that play a role in the development of leadership skills. The research objective is to identify specific factors that may assist in developing a better understanding of leadership and its impact on the organization, economy and politics. He refuses, however, the future use of genetic tests to decide e.g. in recruitment.
The entire study can be read on the Leadership Quarterly magazine website here (pages 45-60).
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