A Fun Quiz to Determine Your Management Style

There are four classic leadership styles based on Frederick Taylor's research from the early 1900s. Business leaders often have a mix of several styles, so take a look at this fun quiz to see which management style you tend to gravitate toward.

1. What Is Your Overall Management Style?

Out of four choices based on your management style, you can a.) value efficiency in your leadership, b.) control and plan every process, c.) always acknowledge and show appreciation to employees, or d.) respect the company's hierarchical structure without blurring any lines.

2. What Does the Perfect Employee Look Like?

For this leadership style, consider a.) a worker who is organized, resourceful and agile, b.) one who is eager to learn, productive and cooperative, c.) a person who is supportive and passionate, or d.) an employee who is humble, mindful and loyal.

3. How Do You Praise Your Team?

Your answers include a.) rewarding teammates when they are most productive, b.) treating them to a team lunch, c.) vocalizing your praise for the little things, or d.) simply not firing them.

4. How Do You Handle Someone Calling in Sick?

You can a.) ask the person when you think he plans to come back and prioritize his projects, b.) send the person any missed work and delegate the rest, c.) allow the person to recover, or d.) keep an eye on him by looking at his track record.

5. How Do You React to an Employee Pitch?

For a particular management style, you can a.) calculate the most efficient way to run with the idea, b.) take control and schedule the project accordingly, c.) praise the person for thinking creatively, or d.) scold the employee for crossing boundaries

6. How Do You Handle a Missed Deadline?

Think about a.) reprimanding the employee and discussing an effective solution, b.) planning a meeting to discuss the problem, c.) appreciating the effort, or d.) giving the person a warning about consequences.

7. How Do You Turn Down a Highly Qualified Candidate Who Lacks Experience?

You can tell the person a.) he must undergo training, b.) to work a tighter schedule, c.) he is a great addition to the team, or d.) doesn't meet standards.

If you answered mostly letter "a" on these questions, you fall into Frederick Taylor's classic management style where each goal must break down into a series of smaller tasks. If you liked mostly "b" answers, you prefer to control every aspect of your team's process, just like Henri Fayol. In terms of "c," you think a lot like Elton Mayo, where social rewards lead to productive employees. Finally, with "d" choices, you don't put up with a lot of nonsense and you aspire to be like Max Weber.

One way to identify your leadership style is to receive feedback from your colleagues, including the people whom you lead. Ask for specific, honest feedback. The feedback doesn't have to be formal, nor does it have to come at a particular time. Take the feedback in stride and adapt your way of thinking.

The ideal management style is a mix of several tenets. Learn how you can change your way of thinking with this fun quiz, and see what happens to your team as a result.

Photo courtesy of Jamie Gianna at Flickr.com