Asserting Dominance Over Alphas

In any profession, especially work involving violence and combatives where lives may be on the line, it’s important to know how to assert dominance over so-called alpha males / females and “tough guys”.

These persons could be under your command, your teammates or any given person you have to engage with for whatever reason.

  Tactics of Asserting Dominance:

            Exude Confidence Effortlessly

A true alpha male doesn’t have to say or explain that they are the “alpha”. It’s proven with effortless action and natural confidence. This is one of the most important factors of asserting dominance over someone, to exude confidence. This doesn’t mean that you should be arrogant or cocky, but rather that you should believe in yourself and your abilities. If you don’t believe that you can lead, then it will be very difficult to convince someone else of that fact.

            Taking Charge and Command

In most situations, the person who’s in charge is the one who asserts themselves and takes charge of the situation. If you want to be the one in charge, then you need to be willing to step up and take on that responsibility as the decision maker. Strong men and woman will respect and follow a leader who is willing to take charge and make decisions – even if those decisions are not always popular.

            Establish Yourself as The Alpha

The first step in asserting your dominance over an alpha type or tough guy type is to establish yourself as the actual alpha. You need to be the one in charge, the one who’s in control. This can be done through body language, eye contact, and verbal cues. You want to come across as confident and self-assured; someone who’s not going to be pushed around. Being the alpha isn’t about being the loudest or the biggest, it’s about control, confidence and command.

            Be Clear and Concise

When giving orders, stating your opinion, countering an argument or communicating what you want, it’s crucial to be clear and concise – your voice, tone and language. There is no room for ambiguity when lives are on the line or the mission is at stake. Be direct in your communication and make sure that there is no confusion about what needs to be done, how it needs to be done and who needs to do it.

            Put Them in Their Place

Once you’ve established yourself as the alpha, it’s time to put the lesser alphas in their place. This is where things can get a bit tricky, because you don’t want to come across as condescending or belittling. Instead, you want to find a way to assert your dominance without being overly aggressive. One way to do this is to mirror their body language; if they’re crossing their arms, you cross your arms. If they’re leaning in, you lean in. This will show them that you’re not afraid of them and that you’re not going to be pushed around.

            Be Cool, be Stoic

One of the most important ongoing factors of asserting your dominance and maintaining that dominance over tough guys is to keep your cool. No matter what they say or do or what happens, don’t let them or the situation get under your skin. If they see that they’re getting to you, your dominance will weaken and wane. So take figurative deep breaths and stay calm; be stoic with unyielding permanence.

            Equality Treatment

Special or different treatment must not be given to an alpha as supposed to everyone else. Each person must be treated equally regardless of their stature or skill level. So you mustn’t put down or praise an alpha any more or less. This stern equal treatment keeps individuals that think highly of themselves more compliant or at least less resistant to dominance.

            Walk The Talk

It’s not enough to be a powerful orator – you also need to be ready to back up your words with actions. You need to be consistent with your claims. If you say you’re going to do something, then you need to make sure that you follow through on that promise. If people see that you’re all talk and no action, they will quickly lose respect for you as the dominant figure.

Asserting your dominance over alpha males / females can be a difficult if they aren’t just wannabe tough guys, but it’s a straightforward process even if you don’t consider yourself as one with these tactics.