Historically, the elite go through cycles of corruption and detachment from the values they promote to the rest of society. Framing it as an Alpha vs Beta dynamic doesn't capture most of history's real alpha males -- Jamie Dimon and Barack Obama are just fucking pussies compared to Alexander the Great and Caesar.
The men who build empires often actually follow the code of honor and sacrifice they set out for others -- examples off the top of my head include Pericles, Simon Bolivar, Washington, Lawrence of Arabia, Peter the Great, etc. These men aren't saviors, but they're not hypocrites.
The men who tend to lead when corruption becomes the norm are just like 99% of our current Congress. They know how to espouse the values of those who built the current power they enjoy, while being soulless operators themselves. None of the men who are our current political and business "leaders" would have the charisma and integrity to lead others through adversity.
The men who build empires often actually follow the code of honor and sacrifice they set out for others -- examples off the top of my head include Pericles, Simon Bolivar, Washington, Lawrence of Arabia, Peter the Great, etc. These men aren't saviors, but they're not hypocrites.
The men who tend to lead when corruption becomes the norm are just like 99% of our current Congress. They know how to espouse the values of those who built the current power they enjoy, while being soulless operators themselves. None of the men who are our current political and business "leaders" would have the charisma and integrity to lead others through adversity.