As a younger man, I often struggled with understanding what a ‘man’ was supposed to be.
What was masculine strength? How was I supposed to act in my life, so that I could be both successful and attractive?
Eventually, I came to understand that the answers I sought could be found within something called the alpha male personality.
But for a long time, I didn’t even know what that was!
In this post, I’m going to answer the question “what is an alpha male personality?”
And I want to answer this question very clearly and concisely, because it’s a very important question.
Let’s jump right into it.
What Is An Alpha?
So whenever you’re talking about an alpha, basically what you’re talking about is the highest-ranking member of one’s sex.
So in other words, if you’re an alpha male, then you’re a high-ranking (or the highest-ranking) male in your social circles, within the room you’re in, within your community, or within whatever social hierarchy you’re referring to.
The Traits That Make You An Alpha Male Are The Alpha-Male Personality Traits
Now, the attributes that get you to that higher level within your social hierarchies are technically what you would refer to as alpha male personality traits.
So for example, generally this person is very determined, this person has a leadership mentality, this person is effective…
In fact, above all other things, alpha males are effective.
They’re the kind of men who can get things done and really get things accomplished.
They’re also strong leaders. They’re proactive men who act upon the world with intentional strength, creating their own destiny and forging their own path.
For some tips on how to continue to level up in your own alpha male journey, check out this post.
Alpha Males Display Powerful Leadership Traits
The leadership mentality is a filter for how the alpha interacts with other people.
So they tend to be motivating and inspiring. They also tend to have strong boundaries, and they enforce these boundaries rigidly… though they do so with kindness and respect.
So in other words, they’re tough, and they’re capable of getting a lot of things done.
They’re also very, very aware of being kind and respectful to the extent that it will help them to be good leaders, and to empathize with people… creating and generating loyalty with the people around them.
Alpha Males Are Hierarchy Conscious
See, the thing about the alpha male is that they thrive in a stable hierarchy, where the entire hierarchy is succeeding.
Alpha males are highly hierarchy conscious.
Alpha males exist at the top of the social hierarchy.
So if you have a de-stabilized hierarchy, that’s going to destabilize the alpha’s life.
This is why true alpha males are committed to seeing their entire tribe succeed. This actually makes the alpha male more of a servant leader.
(Are you an alpha female? Read this post for some clarification on exactly what it means to be an alpha female.)
Successful Alpha Males Aren’t Bullies Or Tyrants
Now, a lot of people think that the alpha male is a dominant, mean bully or tyrant.
But these things aren’t true.
There are alpha-type men who have these types of personality traits. However, being a bully, being a tyrant, being mean, being condescending, and/or walking all over people… these things don’t make you a true leadership-driven, human-focused alpha.
These are the symptoms of a posturing alpha on a power trip, not an alpha who’s trying to actually mind his business, get his money, pursue his purpose, and make a meaningful difference in the universe.
In other words, alpha males balance leadership ability with empathy to lead their tribe to a better future.
You Can See This Vividly In Chimpanzee Tribes
See, you can see this most vividly in chimpanzee tribes.
What will happen is, if you get a bully alpha in power, the rest of the tribe will fear him, and that’s how he’ll maintain power.
But… they’ll generally be quick to back the first real leader who challenges him.
They’re going to be on the side of the alpha who truly has their best interests at heart.
And see, that’s where the loyalty comes in, and that’s the difference that makes a man a true leadership-minded alpha instead of a bully or a tyrant.
A man who is committed to chasing excellence, getting his money, minding his business, and pursuing his purpose in life will understand that you need to cultivate loyalty with people in your hierarchy to be truly successful.
It’s better for everyone. Because when the entire hierarchy succeeds, everyone does better.
Above All Other Things, Alpha Males Are Effective
Another thing that is absolutely essential to being the alpha, and we’ve touched on it briefly already, is effectiveness.
Alpha males are, above all other things, effective men.
But they also create their own destiny, and they take charge of their own life.
They’re not going to be tossed and turned by the raw emotional reactions to what happens in their life.
They’re going to make sure that they’re on their purpose, and that they’re creating the destiny they want.
If bad things happen, they find a way to turn those things into an opportunity.
They take charge, they take the lead, they’re always on their mission and on their purpose because they know that that’s where their value comes from.
And that’s why a high-value alpha man is a very valuable man in the dominance hierarchy.
And that’s also why they tend to be valuable men in the eyes of attractive, high-value women, because they’re the kind of men who get actual results and get things done.
He’s the kind of man who can contribute to the betterment and the survival of the hierarchy as a whole.
Why Does Alpha Male Personality Type Matter?
There are two reasons why men would want to achieve an alpha personality in their life.
- To make their lives better, take control of their own destiny, and become effective so as to be as successful as possible as they mind their business, get their money, and pursue their purpose
- To increase their attractiveness to women (the vast majority of women prefer men with alpha male personality traits over men with beta male personality traits.)
There’s Only One Top-Ranking Alpha In Every Social Hierarchy
Generally, there’s only one top-ranking alpha in any given social hierarchy.
However, there could be more than one alpha-minded man, and there can definitely be more than one male in any group who exhibits alpha male personality traits.
They may not all be in charge in that particular hierarchy. But if every man in a hierarchy levels up enough to exhibit strong alpha traits, that’s going to make the hierarchy more stable because it means that there’ll be stronger, more capable, more effective men in that hierarchy, willing to do what’s necessary to make it as successful as possible.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has helped you to understand exactly what an alpha male personality is, and why it’s important.
For more information on my own personal alpha male journey, check out this post.
Go with grace, my friends, and never give up your power.
Until next time…
Joshua K. Sigafus