In this week’s episode, we explore the concept of prestige as a form of leadership influence. Unlike dominance, which compels obedience through fear, prestige attracts followership through admiration and respect. This distinction is crucial for modern leaders who wish to build lasting, trust-based influence that empowers others to excel.
Through an exploration of evolutionary biology and historical context, we examine how prestige evolved as a way to coordinate around competence, fairness, and shared knowledge. We’ll uncover how prestige fosters trust, learning, and collaboration in organizations.
Mastering the balance of prestige and dominance will enable you to create a robust leadership style that thrives in both calm and crisis situations. If you are ready to build long-term influence, this one is for you.
In this episode:
- Introduction to prestige and its evolution
- Group-level payoffs of prestige leadership
- Limits of prestige & the dual strategy model
- Final thoughts on the power of prestige
Get Your Copy of The Mammoth in the Room: https://mammothleadershipsciences.com/book/
Resources Used in the Episode:
Henrich, J., & Gil-White, F. J. (2001). The evolution of prestige: freely conferred deference as a mechanism for enhancing the benefits of cultural transmission. Evolution and Human Behavior, 22(3), 165–196: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11384884/
Van Vugt, M., & Smith, J. E. (2019). A dual model of leadership and hierarchy: Evolutionary synthesis. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(11), 952–967: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31629633/
Boehm, C. (1993). Egalitarian behavior and reverse dominance hierarchy. Current Anthropology, 34(3), 227–254: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1993-41011-001
Cheng, J. T., Tracy, J. L., Foulsham, T., Kingstone, A., & Henrich, J. (2013). Two ways to the top: Dominance and prestige as distinct routes to social rank. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(1), 103–125: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-31075-001
Margoni, F., Baillargeon, R., & Surian, L. (2018). Infants distinguish between leaders and bullies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(38), E8835–E8843: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30181281/
Get in Touch:
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