Muhammad Ali was a master of self-promotion and surely ranks as not only one of the greatest boxers of all time, but also the smartest trash-talker in sports history. Ali was supremely confident in himself, loaded with charisma and never feared a fight. He openly declared himself the greatest and often predicted the round in which he would knock out his opponent.

In the early days of Ali’s career, opponents read his brag-and-boast routine as nervous bravado, but few knew how prepared he was, how hard he trained and just how much he wanted to win. By the time Ali got to the ring, he had every reason to believe he was invincible because he had pushed himself beyond his limits, beyond what he believed any other man could endure.

Lesson: Always come prepared
Whatever impression they might give off, alpha males never enter an important situation unprepared or deluded with the belief they’re already good enough to handle it. To them, this is a careless attitude for someone intent on winning at everything they do.

We’ve all seen one rather minor example of the unprepared man; he gave the toast at the last wedding you attended. He thought he could glide through the toast because he knew his buddy so well and because he’s a competent public speaker. But not two sentences in, he’s fumbled and maybe said something dumb or inappropriate. By preparing for all their challenges with intensity, alpha males leave nothing to chance.