Excellence in socio-technical teamwork requires both cognitive and emotional bonding

Comments on the article Leadership, followership, and evolution: Some lessons from the past by Van Vugt, Hogan, and Kaiser. The current author states that Van Vugt, Hogan, and Kaiser came to three conclusions from their romp over 2.5 million years of earth history involving many species. In spite of these conclusions, Van Vugt et al. failed to mention or cite any recent articles on the research program that showed clearly that leadership is not only leader behavior toward a group but also is rooted in the mutual goal-enactment behavior and working relationship both between individual followers and between follower and leader at the dyadic and group levels (Graen, 1976, 2008; Graen, Hui, & Taylor, 2006; Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995; Graen & Wakabayashi, 1994; Uhl-Bien, 2006). To best lead a team, one must build all possible working relationships to excellence. In no case should one let one's team divide into working factions based on working relationships.