Critics counter this by saying that leadership is a function of society. Gorbachev and Mandela were simply creations of the inevitable break up of USSR or the end collapse of South Africa apartheid. The Great Man theory focuses on wars and revolutions, which are unstable, fluid situations, but conditions soon settles down to leader at top of communications like a president or prime minister. About 70-80 years ago American social scientists decided to study leadership empirically so they identified hundreds of leaders in government, business, publishing and so forth, then surveyed them. They found the leaders were middle aged, male, white, well educated, intelligent, and energetic.
Sociobiology applies knowledge from biology to explain social behavior.
In particular, it applies evolutionary theory, explaining why certain characteristics have survived. The theory finds that hierarchy is natural state, that an alpha male dominates the group, and that members feel more secure when they know their place. It compares the modern work group to the prehistoric hunting group. A tenet of sociobiology is that individuals tend to favor their closest relatives, which explains nepotism. Research shows that men in leadership positions have more male hormones, and that the level decreases when they leave leadership position.