Why insecure leaders trust algorithms over advisers
Psychological experiments suggest that secure leaders are more likely to seek counsel from peers, while insecure bosses prefer to ask an algorithm. What are the implications for leadership?
Image: Jirsak/Shutterstock
Boards are not just made to hold management to account; they’re also there to provide advice. Except, it seems, some leaders might prefer the counsel of machines rather than real people.
That’s the view one could conclude from an interesting piece of research conducted at the BI Norwegian Business School investigating the attitude of leaders to advice from others.
Psychology researcher Ingvild Müller Seljeseth undertook three experiments involving more than 500 business students asking them to answer questions as leaders would.
In the main study the students were asked to do two things: estimate the numbers of peas in a jar, and
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