Signs That ‘Alpha Behaviour’ Is Going Too Far

Does this sound like your organisation … co-workers see each other not as colleagues but as competitors. Bravado, rule breaking and unreasonable risks are secretly admired. And expressing emotion, especially doubt, is a sign of weakness.

If those sound familiar, your business could be overdoing it with uncontrolled ‘alpha’ behaviour amongst it’s male team members and managers. And these issues can be a sign of serious organisational dysfunction. Not only do they leave women out or force them to play in a rigged system of ridiculous rules they also short circuit teamwork, decrease innovation and hurt the bottom line with employee turnover of harassment tribunal claims.

Researchers found four ‘alpha’ norms that correlate strongly with organisational dysfunction. One – show no weakness. Swagger and overconfidence suppress vulnerability, uncertainty and tenderness. Two – strength and stamina. Even in managerial roles, physical strength and athleticism are prized and endurance is proven sometimes by putting themselves in dangerous physical positions. Three – put work first. Commitment to the organisation comes before all else leaving little room for family, breaks, or balance. And four – dog eat dog, a culture where more ‘alpha’ winners defeat losers in a zero sum game and trust is scarce.

‘Alpha’s’ in these workplaces are under constant threat. Status must be repeatedly defended, leading to even more toxic behaviour.

So, how do you change these cultures?

By putting mission first.

The key here is leveraging the right goals and values. A healthier culture will follow. For example, focus on improvement. A leader could point out that improvement, competitive advantage and business security only thrives when people feel psychologically safe to take risks and share new ideas. And this is only possible in a culture without counterproductive Alpha norms. Next, when people regularly work unsafely, or laugh at offensive jokes, leaders need to dispel the misconception that everyone endorses such behaviours and publicly reject these norms. And most importantly leaders must walk the talk. Reward people for supporting each other, call out misconduct, allow others to voice dissent and model respectful behaviours.

Only when mission comes first can real change take place, sending the Alpha contest culture into the past, where it belongs.