Forthcoming

The
Alpha Trap

When You Have Everything Except Enough

For driven people — and those who love them.

How Strong Is Your Alpha Pattern? About the Book
Stephen P. Hills  ·  Former President, The Washington Post
Stephen P. Hills
The Book

There is no shortage of books
about what is wrong with men.
This is not one of them.

This book is for men who succeeded by every measure that mattered — and sense the distance between a life that looks complete and one that feels complete.

The same wiring that produces extraordinary careers has a shadow side: pace becomes pressure, control becomes isolation, and winning doesn't satisfy the way it used to. The Alpha Trap names that pattern, traces its origins, and offers a clear path forward — not by abandoning the drive, but by redirecting it.

Drawing on nearly a hundred conversations with founders, CEOs, athletes, senators, and others who built remarkable lives and then had to reckon with what the climb had cost them, Stephen P. Hills has written a book about what strong people actually need — and what it takes to get there.

"This is a phenomenal book. Filled with insight, humor, relevant research, and bullseye anecdotes."

Richard Sarnoff  ·  Chairman, Simon & Schuster
Early Praise

What readers are saying

A penetrating look at the hidden costs of achievement, and a generous guide to the relationships and reflection that make a life whole.

Peter Salovey
President Emeritus, Yale University & Co-Creator of Emotional Intelligence Theory

Success has many fathers...and drivers. Steve Hills's insightful interviews and excellent analysis reveal what motivates, and sometimes undermines, the most successful amongst us.

Willy Walker
Chairman & CEO, Walker & Dunlop

This is a phenomenal book. Filled with insight, humor, relevant research, and bullseye anecdotes.

Richard Sarnoff
Chairman, Simon & Schuster
The Tool

The Life Priorities Wheel

Want to see where you stand first? A short interactive assessment that shows you the gap between where your energy is actually going and where you want it to go. Most people are surprised by what they find.

See what you've actually been valuing
Work & Wealth
Where your time and identity actually go
Family & Partner
Presence, not just provision
Friends & Community
Depth of connection beyond utility
Health
Restorative, not just performative
Inner Life
Stillness, meaning, self-knowledge
Contribution
Impact beyond your own advancement

alphaholics-wheel.netlify.app

The Author
Stephen P. Hills
Stephen P. Hills
Author, The Alpha Trap

I learned how to earn admiration long before I learned how to let myself be known.

I spent nearly three decades at The Washington Post, the last fourteen years as President and General Manager. I led the company through its sale to Jeff Bezos and was named the most innovative media company in the world by Fast Company. As a board member of Classified Ventures, I helped guide the development and scaling of Cars.com and Apartments.com.

I am the Founding Director of the Business Law Scholars Program at Georgetown Law School, where I also teach. I serve on the board of AvalonBay Communities. I am a grandmaster in backgammon — a fact that perfectly illustrates the pattern this book describes.

I live in Chevy Chase, Maryland with my wife Joslyn.

MBA, Harvard Business School  ·  BA Philosophy, Yale University
Former President & General Manager, The Washington Post
Founding Director, Business Law Scholars Program, Georgetown Law
Board Director, AvalonBay Communities
Coming Soon

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