Have you ever heard the old business school saying about your ideal boss: Would you rather work with the “competent jerk” (more commonly portrayed as an “alpha”) or the “lovable fool”? It’s one of those impossible questions—a Kobayashi Maru of team management—that pushes us to consider our preferred option in a no-win scenario.
As a species, we love black-and-white examples. We often struggle with gray areas or nuance, and instead gravitate toward extremes. We seek clarity. It’s easier to understand what we’re in for or what complications we’ll face if we have a clear picture of a group or person’s psychological posture. We cope better if we know ahead of time whether we’ll be working with a jerk or a fool. It’s our survival instinct at work.
So what did you pick? If you’re in business, I’m betting it was the competent jerk.
In the business world, we reward grit and ruthlessness. It’s a foundational component of capitalism; compete better, crush the competition, and win at all costs. We admire competent jerks because they get the job done. We believe they do what it takes to win, which is critical for the survival of a company in the business world. Sometimes it feels like there’s no other way.
Here’s the crazy thing: Competent jerks are not alphas—at least not when properly examined. Alphas are significantly different from their pop-culture portrayal. It’s time for us to shake this traditional perception of alphas and instead shed light on the reality of modern and effective workplace leadership.
Myth 1: You think you know what an alpha is
Visualize a traditional workplace alpha. I’m betting you picture the business equivalent of a gorilla: likely an ape wearing a tie or carrying a briefcase. They’re a big personality with an even bigger ego. They ruthlessly pursue professional interests in the name of the company and their career. They demand near perfection from their team. Failing them or getting in their way would be a tremendous mistake. They would figuratively pound their chest and Donkey Kong toss you out of their path. Their ends justify their means.
Turns out your visualization is both right and wrong. Yes, that’s the traditional perception of alphas in the workplace. But if you think that’s what an actual alpha is, in nature it couldn’t be further from the truth.
This cliché for alpha was originally coined by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich after he read Chimpanzee Politics by primatologist Frans de Waal. Gingrich believed that the lessons of de Waal would help “toughen up” freshman congresspeople. Newt’s takeaways from de Waal’s work are pretty suspect. De Waal notes that alpha chimpanzees are generally not the strongest but are most able to build coalitions, be generous to others, and show the most empathy. They also happen to be pretty good peacekeepers.
I was pretty surprised when I learned this. You don’t usually tie empathy to alphas, but in nature that’s considerably more accurate. Alpha chimps do this for many reasons, mostly because they understand that the quickest way to the top (and to stay there) is to build a collaborative coalition with their troop.
Alpha chimps go out of their way to mitigate disputes without bias, console troop members in hard times (they will literally hug another chimp that needs a hug), and get their fellow chimps to believe in them. They empathize and lead by example. Who wouldn’t want that kind of boss?
Next time you hear the word alpha, pause and think about what nature’s alphas actually are: empathetic and inspiring leaders. Don’t buy into toxic alpha behavior because you think it’s necessary for business.
Myth 2: Workplace alphas are high achievers, great leaders, and get the most out of their people
The question remains: Are those competent jerks actually more effective than their peers? Does that ruthlessness and ego combine into a potent business strategy that drives better results? Most of the time, it doesn’t.
It’s not only that some competent jerk alphas don’t always deliver, but they’re actually toxic employees who can drag down their organizations. For example, a Harvard Business Review piece called “Coaching the Alpha Male” tries to support the false idea of the hyper-aggressive alpha but can’t escape that those same high achievers need next-level coaching.
The more pressure alphas feel to perform, the more they tend to shift their leadership style from constructive and challenging to intimidating or even abusive. Organizations become dysfunctional when people avoid dealing with difficult alphas and instead work around them or simply pay them lip service.
Great. We’re all looking for intimidating and even abusive leaders, right? More often than not, those competent jerk alphas are hurting your organization as opposed to maximizing the potential of your team. Traditional alphas are leaders? Seems more like bullies to me.
Myth 3: Becoming a workplace alpha is the ideal outcome for any employee
If we consider the first two myths together, we know that the third myth is that you want to be a traditional alpha—something we now know is wrong. Instead, we’ve redefined the workplace alpha to something more accurate in nature and effective in terms of business results.
Be a real alpha. You should lead by example, with empathy, and build coalitions. You should be trying to bring the best out of your people. You should be looking for opportunities to collaborate and invest in people as people. Any team that is made up of employees who care about the goals of their company, their customers, and their business will be more successful and competitive.
And I’m not the only one who says empathy drives straight to the bottom line. A recent survey from a global nonprofit that helps build better workplaces for women found that:
- 61% of people with highly empathetic senior leaders report “often” or “always” being innovative at work
- 76% of people with highly empathetic senior leaders report “often” or “always” being engaged
- 86% report they can navigate the demands of their work and life—successfully juggling their personal, family, and work obligations—when their manager is empathetic
Empathetic leadership unquestionably makes your company better. The next time an alpha starts pounding their chest and bullying your team, call them out. The data supports you, and chances are your team supports you too.
Parts of this piece have been adapted from Startup Different: The Myth-Busting Blueprint for Your Multi-Million Dollar Business.
