Dominance vs Agility

In other words: Women won’t advance in the business world unless they learn to manterrupt. It’s a reflection of the common social attitude that women need to behave in a more masculine way if they want to succeed professionally.

Makes me think of this:

“I will say to you that the number of men who came to negotiate with me when I was running a law firm or a company was much higher than the number of women,” Tory told host Stephen LeDrew. “The women don’t come as often to complain. The men do, so my experience is a little different in that I do think that more men put a fuss up about their money.”

Which, in turn, makes me think of this:

The aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.” … “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued. “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

What’s the end goal? To be the one in charge, to get the promotion, to be the boss?

Or to create dynamic, agile systems able to adapt, survive, thrive?

The answer is pretty clear — do the latter, but only I can do the former. That’s why, dammit, you need to listen to me, give me your money, then get out of my way.

Alpha males (or for that matter, alpha females) are about dominance, not accomplishment. Our heirarchies are filled with them. In fact, they’re the reason we have hierarchies.