Episode 28: What apes can teach us about leadership with Frans de Waal PhD
We are delighted to have been joined by Frans de Waal, author of "The Age of Empathy", to discuss primatology in the context of leadership.
Frans explores the politics, hierarchy and relationships of apes and what we can learn from this in terms of dominance and leadership.
He discusses the importance of connections, relationships and followers in becoming a successful leader and offers some brilliant advice for new leaders.
The concept of the "Alpha Male" is also explored, which is very different from the one that a lot of people believe it to be.
About Frans de Waal:
Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behaviour and social intelligence of primates. His first book, Chimpanzee Politics (1982) compared the schmoozing and scheming of chimpanzees involved in power struggles with that of human politicians. Ever since, de Waal has drawn parallels between primate and human behaviour, from peacemaking and morality to culture. His scientific work has been published in hundreds of technical articles in journals such as Science, Nature, Scientific American, and outlets specialized in animal behaviour. His popular books — translated into twenty languages — have made him one of the world's most visible primatologists. His latest books are The Age of Empathy (2009), and The Bonobo and the Atheist (2013). Two recent edited volumes are The Primate Mind (2012) and Evolved Morality (2014).
