Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are two of the richest business leaders in the world (*2*)net value of $202.5 billion and $261 billion. But that is not the only thing they have in common.
The 60-year-old Amazon founder and the 53-year-old Tesla CEO are the oldest children in their families.
Bezos has a younger brother named Mark and a sister named Christina, each early investors in Amazon; they bought 30,000 shares for $10,000potentially value over $1 billion today.
Musk’s younger siblings are businessman Kimbal Musk and director Tosca Musk.
Has Bezos and Musk’s status as firstborn siblings helped them achieve impressive leadership, wealth and success? Being the oldest child definitely doesn’t guarantee that either, but some research suggests that it could actually prepare people to be strong leaders.
Earlier this 12 months Entrepreneur sat down with Dr. Brittany McGeehana licensed psychologist in Frisco, Texas who specializes in working with high achievers to learn more about how birth order affects personal and skilled outcomes, including leadership abilities.
While McGeehan acknowledges that conclusions about birth order and success don’t apply to everyone, oldest children are indeed “born leaders,” he says.
In fact, two essential leadership qualities will help establish firstborn siblings as people worthy of respect. According to McGeehan, as adults they are often capable of take responsibility and deal with critical feedback more effectively than their younger brothers and sisters.
Parents who want their children to succeed in business (or in any path they select) should listen to their children’s characteristics and interests, says McGeehan.
Providing structure Is essential, notes McGeehan, but equally essential is finding the “sweet spot” where a child can “build on their work ethic without cutting themselves off from it.”