Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

What Watching Geese Revealed About Great Leaders

After four years of observing greylag geese at Austria’s Konrad Lorenz Research Center, University of Vienna researchers have discovered that boldness, not aggression, makes the difference between leaders and followers in the animal kingdom. The groundbreaking study tracked which birds initiated group flights and which ones followed, while testing each goose’s personality for boldness, curiosity, and aggression to understand the dynamics of natural leadership. Surprisingly, the most effective goose leaders were bold but not dominant, offering their flocks a sense of security during risky decisions like searching for new feeding grounds, while curious followers helped the group discover fresh opportunities and shared valuable information.

The research challenges long-held assumptions about dominance-based leadership by revealing that followers choose leaders based on trust and benefit rather than fear or intimidation. Even though aggressive geese often ranked higher socially within the flock, they were not the ones others chose to follow when important decisions needed to be made. Lead researcher Sonia Kleindorfer noted that this study fundamentally changes our understanding of how animals make group decisions and may offer profound insights into human leadership dynamics. These wise geese have taught us that true leadership isn’t about being the loudest or most aggressive in the room, it’s about inspiring confidence and trust when others need guidance through uncertain territory.

PrevPrevious13-Year-Old Dog Just Won Westminster’s Top Honor
NextDogs Are Much Smarter Than We ThoughtNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

From Side Hustle To City-Wide Phenomenon

October 11, 2025

In 2009, Tim Bennett was a 27-year-old apartment dweller in Philadelphia with an inconvenient dream of composting his food waste in a city that doesn’t collect organic waste for that purpose, so he invested $100 in buckets and flyers to start collecting neighbors’ scraps. What began as an experiment he

Read More
Happy News

Man From A Meme On A Mission

October 11, 2025

Twelve years ago, Drew Scanlon blinked on camera during a live stream with video game review website Giant Bomb, and that single moment exploded into one of the internet’s most recognizable memes in 2017. The clip showing his subtle look of irritation became the go-to reaction image for millions of

Read More
Happy News

Sleeping On The Job… Good for you?!

October 11, 2025

A secret society exists within the American workforce of people who regularly nap during work hours, sneaking rest breaks in parking garages, side streets, nap pods, or even their home offices because they believe the practice improves their performance despite the stigma. Multiple studies have confirmed the benefits of short

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 HappyNews.