4 Leadership Principles That People Can Learn from Wolves

One of my students recently prepared a list of rules that a pack of wolves follows in order to show how a group of animals instinctively follows rules that us humans could learn from. He read the rules to me one by one in order to see if there is anything worth commenting on. The first four of those rules relate to leadership.

“Rule 1: The leader of the wolf pack is the one who takes responsibility for organizing the hunt and protecting everyone in his pack. That is, the pack intuitively obeys whoever is stronger and more responsible, regardless of age.”

In human society, a leader is one who can exemplify an attitude of constant concern toward society, and convince others that unity is our law and the way to ensure human survival. In other words, if a leader brings about group unity through personal example and showing how unity strengthens the group’s confidence and safety, then the group will recognize such leadership.

“Rule 2: The stronger and more experienced the leader, the faster he suppresses all quarrels, the less discord and aggression in the pack, the friendlier the atmosphere, and the more group cohesion.”

Whether animal or human, it is a rule that relates to any clan. Leaders need to be very clear, confident and able to impose their will. In the same breath, they should be able to end quarrels, slander and other negative relationships. While the leader acts out of total devotion to their group, the group feels a certain extent of fear, respect and obedience toward them.

“Rule 3: The leader leads the pack, rescues them from traps, plans out and begins the hunt, and is first to rush at the enemy or prey.”

Among people, being the first means accepting all the blows and problems that arise in society. It means that we relate to society like our family, and the leader is like the traditional father in the family, taking responsibility for the problem that reveals itself. Among animals, one that fails to accept responsibility is instantly removed from their group. We would be wise to learn from this example — that we need to accept responsibility for all problems that arise in society. An atmosphere of mutual responsibility in society would impact a tremendous shift to a much more harmonious and peaceful world.

“Rule 4: Wolves walk in a line. The first three are old and sick. They are followed by the five strongest wolves. Next is the part of the pack that they protect, and then five more strong wolves. Last comes the leader, who makes sure that no one falls behind. That is, being a leader in a wolf pack does not mean being ahead of the pack, but making sure that everyone makes it.”

Indeed, the leader makes sure everyone is safe. It is the leader’s power and the yardstick for evaluating the leader. It is harder for people to ensure everyone’s safety because egoistic calculations can drive people to harm others as a means for their individual power motives.

Wolves, however, operate instinctively. They have a clear inner understanding of their needs, while people have reason, where the ego operates. In other words, according to wolves’ nature and the nature of their surrounding environments, they have merely one way of living and surviving. On the contrary, we people are far from living a single way. We each seek to escape responsibility and let others fend for themselves.

Ideally, however, the leader needs to watch over everyone as the last one behind them. Everyone should ultimately aspire to care about everyone in such a way because such mutual concern and responsibility is the only way to secure ourselves a better future: to save ourselves from myriad crises that emerge on personal, social, economic and ecological scales; to raise children into happy and confident adults; and generally to infuse an atmosphere of mutual support, encouragement and confidence into all members of society.