President Trump seems to prefer hiring men with alpha-dog personalities that, more or less, mirror his own — White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, ch🐟ief of staff Reince Priebus and press secretary Sean Spicer. Yet in one 10-day p𒀰eriod, all three were gone.
Politics asideﷺ, this raises the question: Can peopl𒁏e with alpha-dog personalities work together?
Current chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, who♈ asked the president to remove Scaramucci from office, probably thinks not, but management and etiquette experts say that power-drivers can get along and even accomplish amazing things.
Management-training🍸 expert and author Daniel Bobinski says that, even though people with dominant personalities are typically competitive, direct and self-reliant, “if they respect that about each other and are trying to accomplish the same things, they can get a lot done.”
Given thaꦛt one alpha dog is usually working for the other, the trick is that “the leader needs to be very clear about his vision and mission, and the two should believe that th💛ey’ll each be in a better position to deliver if they work together,” he says.
Bobinski adds that it is important for onlookers to realize that when dominant 🐻personalities spar, “it doesn’t mean they are not getting along. To them, it’s part of the fun. It’s how they operate.”
In fact, that might be why President Trump didn’t immediately fire Scaramuc🥂ci, even though the 83 percent of the population who aren’t alpha dogs were appalled by the Mooch’s behavior.
This begs another question: How do people who are low-key in nat𝔉ure get along with an alpha dog?
To succeed when an alpha dog is your boss, “focus on results and minimize the chitchat,” says 𝓡Bobinski. And if you don’t understand or agree with what’s being asked of you, “don’t be c🌠onfrontational — ask a question,” he says.
Elaine Swann, business etiquette expert and author of “” (WS Publishing, out now) says that it can be challenging for🏅 two dominant personalities to partner. If they want a shot at success, they must each know, and agree on what t♓heir roles are.
“They should not cross over into each other’s territory,” she says, while adding that this expectation is not very realistic. And when one alpha dog, almost inevitably, sets foot onto the other’s turf, the offended alpha will⛄ typically throw a hissy fit.
That’s when the 🔴offende🦩r should quickly “step back and let the other alpha blow off steam,” says Lynn Taylor, workplace expert and author of “” (Wiley, out now).
“You can’t change crazy, and you♛ can’t fix crazy,” she adds.
When the crazy train passes, “you can get back on the track, and focus on th꧃e task at hand,” she says.
Taylor says that two co-workers with strong personalities can find an amazing camaraderie if they loo🍸k at one another as, “Hey, bro, we’re cut from the same mold,” and they each have thick skin.
But even then, they each have to agree on who has𒈔 the final word. The one who doesn’t has to channel what Taylor calls “their inꦑner Type B” and take on that role.
“You can’t have two Type A’s🐻 in the room and expect success,” she says.
Nonalpha colleag🦩ues who want to😼 make a point in an alpha dog’s presence should channel their emotional intelligence and understand that being confrontational won’t work.
“Pick your battles and kಌnow when you have to sit back,” says Taylor. And don’t think of it as copping out. “It’s being strategic.”
Etiquette and relationship expert April Masini notes that there are ꦆworkplaces, such as the White House, where there are many top dogs, but that doesn’t necessarily have to spell disaster.
“Two top dogs with alpha personalities can ♔support and compete with each other in a very healthy way, creating a greater good and individual happiness as well,” she says.
What’s key is for each to have what Masini calls “a wꦆillingness to coexist and to carve out areas where each one is top dog — without conflict and with mutual agreement.”
As we c🐭an see from the current White House situation, however, it doesn’t alwaꦅys work.
“Pure alᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚphas may try to cooperate, but can’t do so for a long time because it’s just not in their nature,” Masini says.