Why Being the Beta Chief Is Better Than Being the Alpha ChiefOne expert proposes that the most effective leaders demonstrate authority through collaboration.

If you've sat through one staff meeting, you've sat through them all. You know the drill: The extroverts monopolize the dialogue, tuning out the input of others, while the introverts go to the opposite extreme, suppressing their own ideas in favor of allowing other voices to dominate the discourse. Then there are the ambiverts, who inhabit the sweet spot between the two sides, instinctively knowing when to speak up and when to shut up—an essential skill in today's increasingly collaborative business world.

That model is explored in Dana Ardi's bookThe Fall of the Alphas: The New Beta Way to Connect, Collaborate, Influence—and Lead,whichcontends that business leaders must dump traditional vertical models of hierarchy and control (what she dubs "alpha culture") in favor of a more horizontal, inclusive approach.