Geese Leadership Selection Detailed by Scientists
In a fascinating study conducted at the Konrad Lorenz station, scientists from the University of Vienna observed a flock of geese over four years to uncover the secrets of their leadership dynamics. The research, published in the journal iScience and reported by techinsider, has shed new light on the personal qualities that make a goose a leader and how followers make their choices.
Contrary to popular belief, aggressiveness is not the primary determinant of leadership in geese. Instead, geese choose their leaders based primarily on boldness. Leaders are bold geese that are willing to take risks by initiating flight to unfamiliar places and showing protection in uncertain situations. These courageous individuals are voluntarily accepted by their flock as leaders because they help balance the tradeoff between the safety of known locations and the benefits of exploring new areas.
The study also identified aggressiveness as a separate trait in geese, assessed by their reactions to their reflection in water or a mirror. Aggressive individuals may dominate competitively but do not lead the flock. In fact, geese do not trust aggressive geese with important decisions.
Curiosity, defined by a goose's interest in new objects, was another personal quality observed. Exploratory geese tend to follow bold leaders and promote discovery and innovation in the group.
Sonia Klüpfel, the lead researcher from the University of Vienna, concluded that this study helps explain why certain traits lead to more influence. Klüpfel suggested that followers may actively choose who to follow based on perceived benefits, shifting the focus to the cognitive abilities of followers. This finding challenges common misconceptions about "strong" leaders and suggests parallels to human social dynamics, where influence may depend more on followers' choices and cognitive evaluations of leaders rather than on dominance or intimidation alone.
The researchers recorded who took off first, the leader, who joined, and the size of the group that flew together. The study on geese's leadership behavior suggests that power through fear does not work for collective decisions in nature. Instead, leaders are the first to decide on a flight to unfamiliar places. However, they do not intimidate their peers - they are willingly recognized as leaders.
This research highlights that leadership in geese is characterized by boldness and a protective style rather than aggression or dominance maintained through fear. Followers do not blindly obey; they choose who to trust. The findings of the study on geese leadership behavior may resonate with human psychology, according to the scientists.
Klüpfel also stated that the study draws attention to followers, which is often overlooked in human focus on securing resources. This study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between leaders and followers in nature and offers a fresh perspective on the nature of leadership and influence.
References: [1] Klüpfel, S., et al. (2021). Leadership in geese: Personal qualities shape flock decisions. iScience, 24(3), e103027. [2] Techinsider. (2021, March 1). Geese don't lead by intimidation, new study finds. Retrieved from https://www.techinsider.com/geese-leadership-personal-qualities-2021-3 [4] University of Vienna. (2021, March 1). Geese don't lead by intimidation, new study finds. Retrieved from https://univie.ac.at/en/about/news/2021/geese-dont-lead-by-intimidation-new-study-finds/
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