What drives your decisions as a leader? Is it strategy or primal instincts? Today, we explore the status anxiety—the subtle force that drives many leadership decisions and often leads to missteps. Even when your business is thriving, seeing competitors succeed can trigger panic, pushing you to act without a clear strategy.

Through historical examples such as the Cold War arms race and Kodak's downfall, we uncover how status anxiety can cloud judgment and lead to disastrous outcomes. It's not about how well you're doing, but how well you’re doing relative to others.

Understanding this can help you make smarter, more strategic decisions without reacting emotionally to rivals. Tune in now and learn how to make more conscious leadership decisions. Remember to order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, to understand how evolutionary truths influence behavior and business decisions today.

In this episode:

- The status anxiety and its evolutionary roots

- Historical examples of status anxiety

- Modern implications of status anxiety

- 3 strategies to overcome status anxiety

- A summary of key takeaways

Resources Used In This Episode:

Van Vugt, M., & Ronay, R. (2014). The Evolutionary Psychology of Leadership. Organizational Psychology Review, 4(1), 74–95: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274471020_The_evolutionary_psychology_of_leadership_Theory_review_and_roadmap

Axelrod, R. (1984). The Evolution of Cooperation: https://ee.stanford.edu/~hellman/Breakthrough/book/pdfs/axelrod.pdf

Sinek, S. (2019). The Infinite Game: https://a.co/d/bCoORzT

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences

Have you ever walked away from a great deal just because something “felt” unfair? You are not alone! In this week’s episode, we explore the primal instinct of fairness—an ancient force wired deep into our brains that still shapes billion-dollar decisions today.

From workplace resentment to the Treaty of Versailles, I share how perceived unfairness destroys trust faster than any spreadsheet can measure, and why logic alone can’t fix what emotion breaks. Plus, I’ll walk you through three powerful leadership strategies to defuse fairness-based conflicts before they explode.

Whether you lead teams, negotiate deals, or broker partnerships, understanding fairness isn’t optional—it’s the hidden currency of trust. Tune in now and learn how to manage the fairness instinct. Remember to order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, for more evolutionary tools to lead wisely in a modern world.

In this episode:

- An introduction to the unfairness trap

- Exploring the fairness instinct and its impact in business

- Historical examples of fairness impact

- Strategies for smart leaders to manage the fairness instinct

- A summary of key takeaways

Resources Used In This Episode:

Brosnan, S. F., & de Waal, F. B. M. (2003). Monkeys Reject Unequal Pay. Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature01963

Fehr, E., & Schmidt, K. M. (1999). A Theory of Fairness, Competition, and Cooperation. Quarterly Journal of Economics: https://web.stanford.edu/~niederle/Fehr.Schmidt.1999.QJE.pdf

MacMillan, M. (2001). Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World: https://www.amazon.com/Paris-1919-Months-Changed-World/dp/0375760520

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences

In today's fast-paced business world, it’s easy to overlook the ancient forces still shaping the way we lead. As leaders, we often react to challenges out of pride, signaling dominance to assert control and protect our position. But this primal drive—rooted in evolutionary psychology—can cloud our judgment and lead to costly mistakes.

In this episode, we dive into how primal instincts influence decision-making and the potential consequences on your business. Rather than acting on impulse, you’ll learn how to manage emotional reactions, de-escalate conflicts, and rise above primal instincts. We’ll also explore three practical strategies you can implement to lead more effectively and position your business for success.

If you're ready to step up your leadership game and break free from the grip of primal instincts, tune in to learn how to lead with clarity, control, and strategic insight. Don’t forget to order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, for more evolutionary insights on leadership development.

In this episode:

- Primal instincts in modern leadership

- Exploring the evolutionary psychology of dominance

- Historic and modern examples of dominance

- Strategies for leaders to overcome the dominance instinct

- Final thoughts on dominance and strategic leadership

Resources Used In This Episode:

Van Vugt, M., & Ronay, R. (2014). The Evolutionary Psychology of Leadership. Organizational Psychology Review, 4(1), 74–95: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274471020_The_evolutionary_psychology_of_leadership_Theory_review_and_roadmap

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, Vol. 185, No. 4157. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.185.4157.1124

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences