Success Advice
How to Look Like the Alpha Male in the Boardroom
An alpha male in the business world is far from the chest-bumping, wedgie-giving, neanderthal-like stereotypes that plague the term. An alpha male in the business world is a confident, assertive leader who knows what he wants and has the humility to understand – and do – the work and sacrifice needed to get it.
The alpha’s internal strength is evident when you talk to him, but the pride he takes in how he looks is also noticeable, and it leads others to give him respect because his appearance commands it.
Here’s how to achieve that respect simply by how you look. Here’s how to look like an alpha male in the boardroom.
1. Build an Alpha Body
An alpha male isn’t rounded girth. He’s not a mass of muscle. He’s more an athlete, a boxer, an martial artist than a bodybuilder. Bodybuilder-type muscle screams insecurity as well as the perception that more attention is paid to training than to business. The body of an athlete conveys pride and strength – which is what we’re after.
The ideal male physique is in the shape of an X. The upper body is broad at the shoulders and tapers down to a thin waist, that tapers out to muscular legs. Here are 3 tips that’ll help you build this physique:
Use a “snatch grip” in your pulls
Shoulder width is the conventional grip of all pulling exercises (think pull-ups, pull-down, and bent over rows). Widen the grip to the extreme by having your pinkies almost touching each end of the bar. This will give your shoulders, traps, and lats a breadth to them that will make your waist look thinner.
Pull more than you push
Developing the back muscles – the lats, traps, rhomboids etc… – give your shoulders the appearance of being broader, and well and your chest. Your “pushes” are the exercises that work your quads, chest, shoulders, calves, and triceps. Make sure you’re working the pulling muscles (hips and biceps included) at least 1.5x the amount that you’re training the pushing muscles, with the main focus going to the muscles of the hips and the back.
Train for performance first, aesthetics second
Train like an athlete to look like an athlete. As a former amateur boxer, and a guy who’s packed on over 40 lbs of muscle to my once skinny frame, I can tell you with confidence that by training like an athlete, you’ll look like an athlete.
No matter what you’re doing in the gym, maintain your performance level by participating in a sport, even recreationally. Join a rec basketball team, or sign up at a boxing gym.
2. Dress Like an Alpha
Looking like an alpha male is one part physique, one part style. You need control of both to be a true alpha male in the boardroom. Here are 4 style tips for the aspiring alpha male.
Invest in a Tailor First, Fabrics Second
How your clothes fit is more important than what fabrics they’re made of. Find a good tailor, and befriend him. It’s better to buy a cheaper suit and get it tailored than to blow your load on one, bulky, ill-proportioned, expensive suit. In buying expensive and avoiding the tailor, you’ll end up looking cheap.
Buy Quality Over Quantity
With that said above, it’s better to spend the dollar bills on two nice suits, and get them tailored, than it is to buy 4 cheap suits and get those tailored. Success dresses like success. Take pride in how you look if you want to command respect at first glance.
Don’t Go Nuts With Accessories
Keep things simple. The trend today is to do the opposite; to overload on accessories. In doing so you end up looking more like a pirate than an alpha male. Don’t look like a goof. Stick to a nice watch. Avoid the bracelets and bling, and instead get the respect that comes from refined simplicity.
Be Bold
Wear your clothes confidently. Dress in bold colors, not loud ones. Wear clothes that are out of your comfort zone, but not so much that you’re trying to be someone else. And wear them with confidence.
3. Why Would You Want to Be an Alpha?
As I mentioned already, being an alpha male isn’t about being a dick. It’s about being a leader, a man of action rather than contemplation, and it’s about being the best man you can possibly be.
Part of this code is looking as good as you possibly can. Studies repeatedly show that good looking people tend to make more money. This is correlational, of course, but there’s credence in these studies and in this fact. To look your best simply shows that you care and that you have pride and confidence. Don’t distort it with cockiness. Just look your best, take care of your body, and maintain the humility that hard work requires.
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While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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