[macfarbt]

I will agree it's hollow in that it is story of an experiment not a specific real world situation. :-)

You are right that in families everyone gets a role. Unlike business you don't join a family at will, you're born into it and roles are very fixed.

Companies are much more dynamic and our roles (formal and informal) change. We also work "at will" and can change companies, teams and colleagues.

There are different types of leadership roles. As you say, one type gets through the bad stuff. Others do really well when times are good. Some only in certain situations.

In tech, where the nature of work and expertise needed day to day, week to week, can vary a lot at times, a variety of leadership capabilities and styles, along with the universal ability to give a shit about colleagues, makes for an awesome team.