A reader wonders what the likely outcome is:
It’s clear that Putin is a legit Alpha….and dealing with Biden (not sure what to categorize him as, regardless of previous state/current state), Biden is getting devastated. Generally speaking, what happens when a Sigma and and Alpha go at each other?
I do realize that part of being a Sigma is knowing when to respect the hierarchy and current status, but there are lines that a Sigma refuses to concede….I am seeing it now at my present employer, and I am curious how it will shake out, were I a betting man; Too many individual variables to post here, just a “finger in the air” how these types of altercations end up being resolved.
Were I to be honest, I am a Venn diagram of Alpha/Beta (I look around any group and look to see if competent leadership is present or active before I start to engage, but really enjoy being a lieutenant), and I am not looking to change allegiances, but my personal scenario has the makings of tremendous collateral damage; The Sigma involved is a longtime employee, brilliant software engineer, fit, tall and handsome, and generally left to tackle big projects in a silo, with trust from the leadership he will deliver.
In the event of all-out conflict, the Sigma will vanish. This usually counts as victory from the Alpha perspective, because he retains his control over the hierarchy. However, the victory can be pyrrhic in nature if the Sigma is a valuable team member.
The wise Alpha will find a way to let the Sigma do his thing separately, but within the larger context of the team. Think skunk works, or the way IBM set up its Boca Raton group to develop the PC without the interference of the larger organization.
Since the reader is a Bravo, not an Alpha, he should probably try to find a way to back down and stay out of the Sigma’s way, or he may find that the Sigma’s talents are more important to the organization than his loyalty and leadership.