Are you an Alpha Fee or an Alpha Fee Bee?

Dr. Gabriela Cora — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:11:04 -0700

Although women leaders struggle with being effective and yet show compassion, both men and women leaders alike may exert positive or negative attributes. Many say Alpha Females have a tendency to be self-serving and aggressive whereas, in fact, many female leaders will purposefully focus their energy in the "greater good." In my serious, yet humorous new book, Alpha Female, I address the modern description of positive female leaders and their negative counterparts, revealing transformational tips and strategies to assist in a positive makeover.

Alpha Fees are strong, positive leaders who enjoy being in charge, yet are great team-players and enjoy establishing win-win situations. They are ready for good challenges and appreciate them, and strive to win by doing their best. They mind their own business and have consistently advanced in their position of power. Their battles are fair: they win out of their own merit and not by throwing dirt on their opponent. Both men and women respect these Alphas, as they know they will always focus on the greater good rather than on any personal gain.

Alpha Fee Bees, instead, seem to be strong on the outside but they are weak on the inside. They are negative leaders who enjoy being in charge for fear of being in someone else's charge. Many Alpha Fee Bees believe they are good leaders and yet, they don't work well with others and boycott initiatives where others will shine, even if the initiative will benefit their organization. They are in a hurry to secure their position of power and would rather win alone than share the glory. These Alphas are insecure and anxious, and constantly worry of others taking their power. They are self-centered and constantly watch their back. They end up fulfilling their own prophecy: many will overpower them when they see the opportunity, as they may end up tired of dealing with the excessive toxicity these Alphas spread in the workplace.

How have you dealt with an Alpha Fee Bee boss? What has been helpful and what proved to be a lethal strategy? Would you like to share your battle wounds?

ABOUT GABRIELA CORA, MD, MBA

DR. GABY CORA is author of Alpha Female and Leading under Pressure. She's a medical doctor and board-certified psychiatrist and practices integrative psychiatry at the Florida Neuroscience Center. In addition to her doctorate degree, she has a master's in business administration and is a corporate consultant and wellness coach with the Executive Health & Wealth Institute.

Why do women leaders get a bad rap?

Dr. Gabriela Cora — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:15:59 -0700

Let’s get real, if a woman leader shows her strength and assertiveness with no apologies, many will say she is ruthless. And, if she shows a tear in the corner of her eye, others will wonder if she’s an emotional wreck.

A woman in power struggles constantly with finding an agreeable midpoint: her bosses, employees, or colleagues will call her aggressive when she’s asserting herself. Others will find her style robotic when she’s just focusing on the points she needs to address in an objective way. Assertiveness, strategic approaches, and focused actions have been leadership qualities that are more traditionally attributed to males. Instead, many people feel more comfortable around women with a more traditionally female-style: a woman who smiles and mediates discord, a woman who will back off and never come off too strong in an argument, even if her point remains vague, or a woman who will show her sensitivity and seem to empathize with everyone’s feelings in spite of not getting the job done.

Interestingly, these are observable characteristics in our current democratic political candidates. Yet, our female candidate seems to have more traditionally male traits whereas our male candidate seems to show more of the traditionally female qualities: while Hillary Clinton exerts strong leadership characteristics, if she were a male, few people would question her leadership attributes.

Instead, Barack Obama seems to be liked because of his charm as he tries to bring people together, avoiding confrontations, being vague in making some decisions, addressing the togetherness rather than the core issues. Interestingly, though, would people wonder about Hillary ‘s leadership in the same way if she were a man? Would she be criticized in the same manner for confronting her opponent in ads, just like every other politician has done in previous elections? Would anyone criticize her if she showed any emotion?

On the other hand, if Obama were a female candidate with the same characteristics, would people see him as a strong leader? Would the country see him as someone who can make his own decisions without paying back all the political favors of his supporters and hold his own convictions? Could he lead a nation with internal struggles as well as have the international presence, experience, and ability to address issues at the core resolving both in a mediating style as well as in a position of power? And, perhaps, more importantly, would anyone believe he could and vote for him to try?

A strong woman in power will maximize her position, asserting herself in the key issues, addressing them at the core and yet, she will be aware and connected with her audience, listening to their stories, empathizing with their challenges, and proposing the commitment to help them out in every possible way. After all, for all of us looking up to them, all we want is someone who will take care of business, focusing their time in resolving issues rather than in trying to destroy their opponent, someone who knows both because of thorough knowledge and experience and someone who cares. Great leaders, both male and female, will connect in this way to get things done.

ABOUT GABRIELA CORA, MD, MBA

DR. GABY CORA is author of Alpha Female and Leading under Pressure. She's a medical doctor and board-certified psychiatrist and practices integrative psychiatry at the Florida Neuroscience Center. In addition to her doctorate degree, she has a master’s in business administration and is a corporate consultant and wellness coach with the Executive Health & Wealth Institute.

Psychology Today Blogs - Alpha Females

Are you an Alpha Fee or an Alpha Fee Bee?

Why do women leaders get a bad rap?