We seem to be the only species that relies mostly on leaders. What is a leader? A person, who by a variety of means, sets themselves up to tell the rest of us what to do. In the case of political leaders, they claim to know what is best for the state or country, and they are supported in their beliefs and actions by sycophants and wannaby leaders. And then there are the leaders in the sports, arts, media and finance who demand attention and adulation because they have been more successful than their rivals.

The other side of the coin is that we, the public, appear to need leaders who will tell us what to do; how to behave and what to believe. This is the basis of democracy and autocracy. The question is – why do we yearn to accept the thoughts and beliefs of one limited individual person, and then act accordingly? This is not the case with most other species. There are dominant individuals in groups or herds who may seize the initiative occasionally, but their position is usually temporary and continually subject to challenge. Most of the behavioural wisdom of other species lies within the group, and in many flocking species, within the female members of the group.

Take one important example of human leader worship, democracy. Why do we give political leaders so much power over society, when they are as limited in their thinking and flawed as the rest of us? The political parties which promote and support the leaders are also subject to the same narrowness of belief, and our elections demand we choose between predetermined sets of policies and behaviour, none of which may be appropriate in the unknown future. True democracy would regularly tap into the wisdom and ideas of groups/populations to decide the actions and policies to be implemented by those in authority. It seems the only example of this process in action is the committee, where there is no leader, only a chairperson with the responsibility to monitor the discussion and help elucidate the decisions of the group. We have much to learn from the other animals.