Testosterone
A steroid hormone primarily produced in testes (males) and ovaries (females). Drives development of male characteristics, muscle growth, and influences behavior including aggression and risk-taking.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"Imagine the stress hormones from a near-miss car accident sustained for months. This is the despotic leader's baseline state. - Testosterone: Highly variable (spikes during challenges) — Constant fluctuation between aggression and exhaustion, driving erratic decision-making and mood swin..."
"Age (r = 0.53): Older birds have experience advantage 3. Prior victory (r = 0.71): Winner effect compounds 4. Comb size (r = 0.41): Testosterone proxy, correlates with aggression 5. Arrival order (r = 0.38): Resident advantage over newcomers The winner effect is powerful."
Biological Context
Testosterone levels fluctuate with competition, status, and social context. Winning raises testosterone; losing lowers it. High testosterone correlates with risk-taking and dominance-seeking.
Business Application
Organizational testosterone: the drive for dominance, risk-taking, and aggressive competition. High-testosterone cultures pursue market dominance aggressively.