Coaching the Alpha Male

This article on executive coaching says: Highly intelligent, confident, and successful, alpha males represent about 70% of all senior executives. Natural leaders, they willingly take on levels of responsibility most rational people would find overwhelming. But many of their quintessential strengths can also make alphas difficult to work with. Their self-confidence can appear domineering. Their high expectations can make them excessively critical. Their unemotional style can keep them from inspiring their teams... Coaches get the alpha's attention by inundating him with data from 360-degree feedback presented in ways he will find compelling. Such an assessment is a wake-up call for most alphas, providing undeniable proof that their behavior doesn't work nearly as well as they think it does. That paves the way for a genuine commitment to change. To change, the alpha must admit vulnerability, accept accountability not just for his own work but for others', connect with his underlying emotions, learn to motivate through a balance of criticism and validation, and become aware of unproductive behavior patterns.
Reflection: What sort of working environments would prevent an Alpha Male from admitting any kind of vulnerability? What sort of environments would push software Alpha Males "to the top"? How would you coach an Alpha Male developer or a software team in these sorts of environment?