Finding success at your 9 to 5, or whatever cool job you have that’s not run by “the man,” could be as easy as managing your stress, a Harvard study says.
The study aimed to predict men’s leadership trajectory based on their hormone levels. To do so researchers studied 78 male executives in an executive education program at Harvard. Saliva was used to measure hormone levels. Women weren’t studied because of their low and generally stable testosterone levels.
Researchers found, Cortisol, the stress hormone, affected the influence of testosterone, the hormone associated with aggressiveness and competitiveness. Basically, the more stressed you are the less likely you’ll be an effective leader.
Participants were asked how many people they managed and how many people worked for them in their respective organizations.
The studies results showed:
- Men with levels of high testosterone and low cortisol had the most employees.
- Men with levels of high testosterone and high cortisol had fewer employees.
- Men with low testosterone and low cortisol also had fewer employees.
Lead author of the study Gary Sherman, Ph.D., told Forbes,
[via Business Insider]
