The secret to success knowing when to lead and when to follow

[WORLD] Why do some people choose to act independently, while others follow the lead of those around them? An international study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that true strength lies not in constant individuality or imitation, but in the ability to switch between the two strategies based on the situation at hand.

This conclusion aligns with broader behavioral science research, which shows that cognitive flexibility—the ability to adjust one’s approach depending on the context—is a key trait among high achievers across various fields, from entrepreneurship to the arts. By focusing on adaptive decision-making, the study provides new insights into why some people excel in uncertain situations, while others falter, despite having access to similar resources and information.

To explore this adaptive mechanism, a research team from the Cluster of Excellence Science of Intelligence, the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the University of Tübingen, and New York University developed a unique experimental approach.

They invited 128 participants to navigate the virtual world of Minecraft, each controlling an avatar tasked with destroying blocks to uncover hidden treasures. When a treasure was found, a blue splash would appear, signaling social information to all players.

Minecraft was chosen deliberately as the experimental platform. Unlike traditional lab environments, the game's open-ended design mimics the complexities of real life, where information is incomplete and social cues can be ambiguous. This setup allowed the researchers to observe how players balanced individual risk-taking with collaboration—a dynamic rarely explored in controlled settings.

At the start of each round, participants were informed whether they would play solo or in groups of four, with the possibility of real-time interactions. The experiment was conducted in two distinct environments: “patchy,” where resources were clustered and social information was critical, and “random,” where treasures were scattered randomly, making the observation of others less valuable.

Each player had to balance exploration and social learning to maximize their rewards.

“Minecraft is useful because it mirrors real-life challenges,” said Ralf Kurvers, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and senior author of the study. “For example, you can only see a small part of the world at once, so you must decide whether to focus on your own search or pay attention to what others are doing to learn from them.”

Throughout the experiment, the researchers monitored each player’s movements and gaze to understand when and why they switched strategies. The findings were telling: in the “patchy” environment, when the first reward appeared, participants instinctively explored their surroundings. But when faced with failure, they tended to follow others who seemed to be more successful, as though thinking, “That person knows what they’re doing—let’s see what they’re up to.”

Notably, these shifts in behavior went beyond mere practicality, reflecting deeper social dynamics. Those who emerged as leaders often did so unintentionally, simply by demonstrating consistent success. Meanwhile, followers displayed a keen sensitivity to these cues, suggesting that social hierarchies form naturally in group settings, driven by perceived competence rather than explicit leadership.

As a result, “hotspots” of activity developed around the most successful players, where others gathered to observe and emulate their strategies. In the “random” environment, however, where the distribution of treasures lacked any discernible pattern, participants relied more heavily on their own instincts.

The top players distinguished themselves with their exceptional adaptability. They were quick to assess situations in real time, pick up on environmental cues, and adjust their strategies accordingly.

These adaptable players didn’t cling to fixed patterns of behavior; instead, they knew when to explore independently and when to learn from others. This ability to pivot with the changing circumstances illustrates that adaptability is a more crucial factor than any rigid strategy.

This research, though conducted in the context of Minecraft, offers valuable insights into our daily lives. It’s not our ability to innovate or imitate that truly matters, but our capacity to recognize when to switch between the two. Timing, it seems, may be the real key to success.