Do Successful Adult Leaders Share Common Childhood Experiences?

Abstract

While the body of research investigating possible interrelations between childhood and leadership is limited (Murphy and Johnson, 2011), there is a growing interest in the potential connection between leaders’ childhood experiences and patterns in their subsequent leadership behaviour (e.g. Berkowicz, 2011; Chan and Koo, 2011; Kudo et al., 2012). In understanding the roots of ‘hubris’ and ‘Hubris Syndrome’ on the part of those in leadership roles and their childhood development experiences, there would appear to be little or no research at all. Therefore, the overall aims of the research reported in this chapter are to determine whether there are any common childhood experiences in adult leaders who have achieved success; to analyse whether particular experiences in childhood might have a link with the development of Hubris Syndrome in adulthood; and, with particular examples from the United Kingdom and Lithuania, to examine whether the national cultural background of an individual might have an impact on the pattern of childhood experiences.