As your organization grows, you’ve probably experienced the moment when consensus-based decision-making starts breaking down. What worked for your startup team of 10 suddenly becomes chaos with 100 people. This isn’t leadership failure; it’s an evolutionary inevitability.
In this episode, we explore how our ancestors faced this exact challenge thousands of years ago, and why understanding their solution is crucial for modern leaders navigating organizational growth. The transition from egalitarian bands to complex hierarchies wasn’t just ancient history but a blueprint for understanding why flat organizational structures eventually failed.
We’ll discuss why resistance to hierarchy is hardwired into our brains, yet embracing it strategically can be the difference between organizational success and failure. If you’re leading any group larger than a campfire circle, you need to know evolutionary forces are still shaping your workplace dynamics.
In this episode:
Introduction to the evolution of hierarchy
Efficiency and coordination in large groups through hierarchy
Transition from egalitarian bands to ancient states
Modern implications of hierarchical structures
Resources Used in the Episode:
Mengistu, H., Huizinga, J., Mouret, J.-B., & Clune, J. (2016). The Evolutionary Origins of Hierarchy. PLoS Computational Biology, 12(6), e1004829.
Turchin, P., & Gavrilets, S. (2009). Evolution of Complex Hierarchical Societies. Social Evolution & History, 8(2), 167–198.
