How did Alexander win the loyalty of those he conquered and was this important to him?

Alexander the Great was undoubtedly one of the greatest leaders of all time. A man whose conquests were unimaginable at the time and unmatchable to this day. By taking his army from the insignificant country of Macedon to huge campaigns across half a continent, Alexander proved that his skills as a leader far surpassed any other of the day. Certainly he had a solid foundation to work from, laid down by his father Phillip II, …

…something that would last. His conquests were not some trivial gallivanting done on a whim. To achieve his goal he needed the loyalty of those he conquered and thus placed great worth upon it. To accomplish what he needed, he used force, manipulated the superstitions of the people and adopted their way of life, becoming one of them. Through this he was able to construct and empire and got the glory after which he sought.