People who think they can be everything to everyone fascinate me, especially when it comes to leadership. This is a quiz designed to frustrate them because you have to choose only one from each pair. Even worse, I’m going to ask you to honestly consider how you actually behave, not what you think you would do or what you would like to do. Are you game?
Choose A or B:
A- My job is to inspire my team, so I share my vision with them and seek their input.
OR
B- My job is to motivate my team, so I set goals and reward them for a job well done.
Choose A or B:
A- I spend some time most days focusing on where I want to go.
OR
B- I spend some time most days focusing on achieving the desired outcomes.
Choose A or B:
A- I know where I’m going and I trust my team to follow.
OR
B- I frequently check in and herd my team so they don’t get lost as they work toward the goals.
Choose A or B:
A- I explain what I want to my team as they seem to need it.
OR
B- I have documented very clear rules and I expect my team to follow them.
Choose A or B:
A- I give my team wide berth to do their jobs in the way that makes sense to them.
OR
B- I am careful to set reasonable limits on how far people are allowed to deviate from my plans.
Choose A or B:
A- I thank my team for being there.
OR
B- I praise my team for doing things well.
Add up your As and your Bs and don’t be too concerned which you had more of. You are who you are: if you have more As, most people would say you’re more of a leader. If you have more Bs, they’d say you’re more of a manager. One isn’t better than the other; they’re just different.
But that’s not the real score.
To get your real score, answer these two questions:
- In how many instances was it very difficult for you to choose only one option? (The more difficult, the more likely you actually are capable of doing both, which is, after all, what needs to get done if you’re going to have anything to lead.)
- In how many instances did you think of someone else on your team who prefers the opposite of your choice? (The greater the number, the more likely you focus on the team rather than yourself.)
The real score is that leadership happens when you’re not thinking about it. It happens when you focus so much on supporting other people that they can’t think of you as anything other than their leader.
