Individuals in leadership positions tend to perceive themselves as greater risk-takers compared to those without such responsibilities. This observation extends to our closest living relatives, according to new research.
The study, published in The Leadership Quarterly, found that high-ranking chimpanzees were rated as more willing to take risks than lower-ranking members of their group. Researchers propose that this shared trait between species may indicate deep evolutionary roots predating modern human society.
An international team, led by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth and Dresden University of Technology, analysed data from over 40,000 adults and 86 chimpanzees. For the human participants, data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) between 2015 and 2020 showed that individuals who held leadership roles throughout the six years averaged a risk-taking rating of 6.2, compared to 4.96 for those who never held leadership positions. Higher earners also reported themselves as bigger risk-takers.
To investigate the pattern in chimpanzees, researchers studied 86 individuals at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda and Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Kenya. Caregivers rated the animals' willingness to take risks in various situations, including foraging and competing for rank. Chimpanzees in the top fifth of the hierarchy averaged 2.8 on a 0 to 4 risk scale, significantly higher than the 1.5 average for those in the bottom fifth.
Dr Esther Herrmann from the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology stated, "Our findings suggest that a willingness to take risks may have been linked to achieving and maintaining social status for millions of years." Males in both species scored higher than females for risk-taking, though the connection between leadership and risk was consistent across genders.
Lead author Dr Lou Marie Haux cautioned that the findings establish a correlation, not a causal relationship, meaning it is unclear whether risk-taking leads to leadership or vice versa. However, long-term survey data suggest that a higher propensity for risk-taking may be apparent even before leadership roles are assumed.
