British and American scientists - including Greek-American professor Nicholas Christakis of Harvard University - claim to have discovered a gene that helps people become leaders and generally excel in management positions. The so-called "leader gene", named rs4950, gives people the tendency and ability to take on increased responsibilities.
The researchers, led by Dr. Jean-Emmanuel De Neve of University College London, who published the relevant paper in the leadership journal "Leadership Quarterly", according to the British "Independent", analyzed DNA samples from approximately 4,000 twin people and correlated their genetic profile with key characteristics of their personality, their interpersonal relationships and their professional activity (managerial positions are considered a measure of leadership behavior).
Genetic analysis has shown that a quarter of a person's leadership traits could be attributed to genetic causes. The scientists explained that leadership skills are largely a matter of learning, but this gene in particular appears to provide the necessary innate drive for someone to take on leadership roles.
As De Neve said, the rs4950 gene "appears to be associated with the inheritance of leadership ability from generation to generation. The conventional wisdom, that leadership is an ability, remains largely true, but we have shown that it is also partly a genetic trait.".
He estimated that it is possible that some of the leaders who emerged in world history carried this particular gene. However, the researchers stressed that regardless of whether someone has a favorable genetic background, assuming a leadership position depends mainly on acquiring the necessary skills for that position.
De Neve said that to the question "is there a specific leadership gene?", after the new research the answer should be "yes, to some extent," as genetics play an important role, along with learning and environment, in the emergence of leadership personalities. However, he added that more research is needed to understand how this specific "leadership gene" interacts with other factors, such as the child's learning environment.
