The 10 Things Alphas Do To Separate Themselves From The Pack

In today's world we are bombarded with a barrage of people with various personalities and characteristics. As you live your life, ask yourself if you want to be part of the pack or do you want to set yourself apart from the norm? Everyone wants to be part of something great, but the choice is yours; do you want simply to be a part of something great or do you want to be at the forefront of something great?

The answer to this question distinguishes between alpha and beta personalities. An alpha is someone who, through thick and thin, will find a way to get his job done. Alphas will get the job done at any cost, they are great people to have around in the workplace. Although some alphas may be stubborn when it comes to certain things, you have to understand that it comes with having confidence in their abilities and skills.

In this competitive job market it is crucial that you differentiate yourself from the pack. Here are the characteristics that make alphas noticeable amongst the ever-growing work force. Take these characteristics into consideration and you're guaranteed to set yourself apart in the workplace.

10. They are open to advice but influenced by none.

It may sometimes be difficult to see all angles of a situation. Being human means being subject to the surge of influential emotions. Alphas stay open-minded; not because they believe their thoughts to be wrong, but because they are wise enough to understand that even they are capable of making mistakes. They are open to the thoughts and opinions of others because they are willing to be proven wrong and know that in the end they will decide what course is best to set upon. They are never influenced by others, only by reason.

9. They know their strengths and put themselves in situations to excel.

No one is perfect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Being clear on which is which is important if you wish to be successful in any sense of the word. Alphas focus on capitalizing on their strengths and avoiding areas of weakness. But they do not stop there; they make it a point to strengthen these weaknesses. You are only as strong as your weakest chain.

8. They know how to exploit an opportunity when it presents itself to them.

Inaction is the greatest cause of failure. Opportunities will always arise — whether or not you have the gumption to cash in on them is another question entirely. Identifying good opportunities and sorting them from all of the crap opportunities in sheep's clothing is key to making financial progress. When you see an opportunity, seize it. There is not something much worse than a great opportunity missed.

7. They refuse to let up.

Winners don't quit — if they did then they would have never finished the race. The business world is fierce, regardless of whether you are climbing the corporate ladder or navigating your own entrepreneurial ship. Alphas fail just as much as the next guy. The only difference is that they get back up and attack from a different angle. It's not failing that you should fear, but rather not having the will to continue fighting.

6. They are courageous and know that taking calculated risks is a crucial part of life.

It is one thing to take unnecessary risks and it is another to take necessary ones. Risks are a part of success; without them there is no chance of turning a profit. Alphas have learned under what circumstances they can take a risk and when they are better off holding off until the next opportunity presents itself.

A lot depends on your current situation — sometimes you can afford the risk, sometimes you cannot. You must figure out whether the risk is worth the return and whether or not you can afford the loss that you are risking. If you are not willing to lose that which you are putting on the line, then pass.

5. They have an innate ability to make their presence felt anywhere they go.

All alphas have the aura about them. For some unknown reason they seem to easily attract attention upon themselves, everyone wants to be around them and converse with them. Their presence is felt immediately when they enter the room. Their aura is crucial as they are careful not to offend people. They do not want to seem like they are better than anyone, but they know their personality will dominate those surrounding them. They must teeter on a tight rope as they do not want to get the reputation of being too jaded for those around them.

4. They know that no matter what their vices are, their work needs to be completed at all costs.

We all have our vices and this is most certainly true for alphas as well. Alphas are not some God-like, fictional creatures who don't have faults or who are immune to making mistakes. All alphas have their vices but what separates them from everyone else is the fact that they have some self control.

They do not under any circumstance allow their vices to take over. If there is work that needs to get done, alphas know that their vices have to take a backseat until their work is complete. It is this control that differentiates the alphas from the betas.

3. They understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle in order to keep in shape and be productive.

In order to maximize efficiency and optimize output, the machine doing all the work must be well maintained. You will be surprised to see how much better you would feel — and how much clearer your mind would be — were you to put down that bottle and pipe, give up smoking, exercise, eat well and have sex regularly.

It is one of those things that you cannot foresee until after the fact — you don't know what you are missing by all the over consumption. Getting the proper amount of sleep is also crucial. Whatever you can do to optimize your mind, you ought to do. You are bound to slip up once in a while because you are human. Try to minimize the slip-ups and live as healthily as you can. You will thank yourself down the road.

2. They know the importance of curbing their emotions, especially when it comes to matters of business.

Business is business and ought to be conducted rationally — emotions far removed. Emotions are great for when deciding whether or not you are in love or for when you watch dramas or horror movies, but they have no place in a business setting. All that matters in business are ethics and profit — in that order.

Emotions cloud your decision-making, making you believe that the emotion itself carries any weight. Emotions come and go and are more often than not deceptive. If you cannot control your emotions, then you better learn to do so. Or accept that you will never be an alpha.

1. They know they must constantly work at high levels of performance because people are always looking to upstage them.

Being an alpha, you are constantly a target as everyone wants to take your seat. People will dedicate much of their time to see you fall and crumble. As an alpha, you know you have the skills required to be great. Now you must put all your skills to good use. Constantly being in the cross hairs brings the best out of people.

As an alpha you cannot get caught slipping because there are vultures on the prowl plotting your demise. You must constantly work at a high level and understand that being at the top always makes you a target. All alphas accept their roles and know that they have to constantly produce at a high level. This is what separates the strong from the weak.

Bonus: They are natural born leaders & never a boss.

Natural leaders have the ability to have those around them work for a common goal with as much gusto and enthusiasm as if they were working for themselves. A leader is not afraid to surround themselves with people who are smarter than they are. They do not feel threatened as they know that they must surround themselves with great people if they want to do great things. Natural leaders are respected by their peers and never feared, which allows working with them to be a pleasure.

A boss on the other hand works on fear. People are afraid to disappoint their boss and they know that if their boss asks them to do something they must get it done. Working on fear produces lackluster work as people want to hand in projects just to get them done, so they do not get yelled at by their boss.

All alphas have an ability to make those around them feel comfortable, they are natural leaders and working with them brings the best out of people.