Can Leadership Ability Be Predicted at an Early Age?
Are leaders born to be leaders or is leadership learned? Do children show leadership abilities at an early age?
According to Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP), “self-sufficiency and assuming responsibility shows leadership potential in a child.” A child who enjoys completing things on their own is simply demonstrating the early signs of independence.
In a study on early leadership signs, Dr. Susan E. Murphy and Dr. Stephanie K. Johnson noted that, “toddlers who used pro-social strategies to secure [relationships] were high in social competence.” So what exactly is social competence and how does it relate to leadership? Murphy and Johnson explained that, “social competence is the ability to form and maintain positive relationships with others, which is an important skill for leaders.” Encouraging friendly playtime with other children is always a good idea.
The Minnesota twin studies have been designed to tackle this challenge. By comparing identical twins (who share 100% of their genes) and fraternal twins (who share 50% of their genes, on average), researchers reported that genetic factors explained about 30% of individual differences in whether people hold leadership positions in the workplace. However, it’s worth noting that environmental factors, especially work experiences, are substantially important in determining leadership.
The findings suggest that whether individuals with this gene become leaders or not depends on other factors such as the environment. For instance, if families and organizations provide safe environments to encourage individuals’ innovative behaviors while also encouraging self-regulation, the overall influences of the gene might become positive, and individuals are likely to take up.
A new research study concludes leadership abilities may emerge in chidden as early as age 10. The research identified cognitive abilities as a key element in children, which has been linked to leader success.
Analyzing data from almost 17,000 working individuals in the UK in two major studies over 4 decades, psychologists Michael Daly, Mark Egan, and Fionnuala O’Reilly of Stirling University found that high scores for children’s cognitive abilities at age 10 was correlated to a greater percentage of them becoming leaders in organizations by age 50.
“The results suggest that early individual differences in childhood general cognitive ability may profoundly shape trajectories of leadership across working life,” the researchers write in the journal Leadership Quarterly.
In their study, children ages 10 or completed measures of their verbal skills, reasoning, and general cognitive abilities. The same individuals were asked every 10 years or so beginning in their 20’s whether they managed others at work and, if so, whether they supervised more or less than 25 people.
The results of the data collected showed for the cohort of children born in 1970, around 37% of those with high scores occupied leadership positions compared to 25.4% of children with lower cognitive ability.
The study reported that this gap was even more pronounced (27.8% vs. 15.1%) in participants from the cohort born in 1958.
“It appears that the predisposition towards effective reasoning and problem solving in childhood continues into adulthood and acts to foster leadership potential including the ability to supervise and manage large numbers of subordinates,” Daly and colleagues write.
Not surprisingly the researchers found that the relationship between cognitive ability and leadership was partly explained by participants’ educational attainment. “The greater attainment and skill development associated with high levels of education appeared to be recognized by employers and partially explained why such children went on to leadership roles,” Daly and colleagues write.
Unlike previous studies which found little association between general cognitive ability and leadership occupancy this research study that children with higher cognitive functions end up more likely to take on leadership and management roles.
This study was unique in tracking a huge number of participants over four decades. Prior research has been unable to follow participants for such extended periods of time, which may explain why the link between childhood cognitive ability and leadership potential has not previously been identified.
“It is perhaps unsurprising that those with high levels of cognitive ability appear to thrive and go on to occupy leadership positions in the cognitively demanding environments that characterize modern organizations,” the researchers conclude.
One area that the research was lacking was any examination of leadership competencies associated with emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion, which other research has identified as critical to leader success.
Read my latest book: Toxic Bosses: Practical Wisdom for Developing Wise, Moral and Ethical Leaders.
