What is Your Management Style? Find Out with This Simple Quiz!

Have you at any time been curious about the manner in which you manage your team? You might be a new manager. Or you may have been a manager for a long time. Identifying your management styles is a crucial step towards success. It facilitates extracting the top performance of your team. Moreover, it reduces the stress level of your own job.

Your leading style is your personal management style. It has an impact on everything. This includes the morale of the team and the success of the project. It even has an impact on the employees' satisfaction. Every situation calls for different management styles. The best leaders are capable of modifying their strategy.

Are you set to discover your inherent style? Below is our easy management style quiz, which will reveal your style. You will get a clear starting point.

Why Understanding Styles of Business Management Matters

Think of a football coach. A coach who yells at every player might demotivate a shy team. But a coach who is too hands-off might confuse a new team. The right style matters!

Styles of business management are not about being "good" or "bad." They are about being effective. A manager who uses a certain style in the wrong situation might fail. Understanding the different management styles helps you choose the right tool for the job.

For example, imagine a crisis. A very direct, "do it my way" style (Autocratic) is often best. Everyone needs clear, quick orders. Now, imagine a creative brainstorming session. A style that encourages discussion (Democratic) is much better.

The goal of this management quiz is simple. It's to help you recognize your current habits. Then, you can decide if you need to change anything.

The Simple Management Style Quiz

Answer these questions honestly. Pick the answer that is most like you. Don't overthink it!

Question 1: A team member makes a mistake on an important task. What do you do?

A. The moment I notice it, I jump in and take control of the situation. Either I correct the error by myself or give an elaborate and very detailed explanation on how to put it back right. The output has to be perfect no matter what.

B. I call the person who made the mistake for a one-on-one discussion. We go over the situation together. I inquire about their view on the best course of action. I assist them, but they do the implementation of the correction.

C. I place my trust in the usually very competent team member to both detect and rectify the error. If they do not, I will probably bring it to their notice, but in general, I wait for them to acquire the knowledge through their mistake.

Question 2: You are starting a brand new project. How do you assign tasks?

A. I create an elaborate project plan. I then assign different people along with their respective deadlines. Keeping a close eye on their daily progress is my practice.

B. I invite everyone in the team to a meeting, and what to achieve is one of the topics of discussion. The plan, as well as the roles, are decided by the group. My role as a facilitator is to guide the process.

C. I articulate the final result in an explicit and accurate manner. The staff members are allowed to choose the roles that suit them best, and they can also, considering their personal abilities, determine the most effective way to achieve the target.

Question 3: What works as team motivation?

A. By setting clear targets and rewarding those who meet them specifically. I concentrate on structure and rules.

B. By supporting building relationships and collaboration. I make sure to focus on everyone being heard and appreciated.

C. By attractive tasks and granting them a great deal of freedom. I direct my concentration towards their self-management skills.

Question 4: What is your primary focus when reviewing a team member's work?

A. Following the rules, meeting the deadline, and making sure the process was followed exactly.

B. The overall quality and how the work helped them grow. I offer feedback on their methods, not just the result.

C. Just the final result. If the result is good, I don't worry about how they got there.

Question 5: Whose management style do you really admire (spirit-wise)?

A. Gordon Ramsay (in the kitchen): His communication is unambiguous, his demands are huge, and his presence is always dominating. He is the one who knows the best way.

B. Dwight D. Eisenhower: He was a wonderful consensus creator. He took the last step only after hearing his advisors out.

C. Elon Musk (in the early days): Smart people are given a lofty goal and provided with the liberty to achieve it, very often with only minimal supervision.

Your Management Style Quiz Results!

Count up how many A's, B's, and C's you chose. Your highest count points to your primary management styles.

Mostly A's: The Autocratic (or Authoritative) Manager

Your Style: You are a leader who is decisive. You prefer to have the upper hand. You make decisions in a flash and then expect your team to comply with your orders to the letter. Your squad has no doubts about the identity of the leader!

When It Works: This leadership tactic is extremely useful in very stressful and risky situations or where instantaneous decisions are required (like on a building site or during a sudden breakdown in technology). It is also properly used for the training of unskilled and new workers.

Real-Life Example: Steve Jobs was already known for his controlling and demanding character in the beginning at Apple. He was a person with a very precise vision and wanted everyone around him to comply with his high demands exactly. This would occasionally lead to the departure of many team members; however, it also contributed to the speedy introduction of cutting-edge products (Isaacson, 2011).

Mostly B's: The Democratic (or Participative) Manager

Your Style: You consider yourself part of the team and appreciate everyone's contribution. You collect different viewpoints and have discussions before making a decision. You want to be a helper in the process.

When It Works: This approach is ideal for power and skill-creating settings. It operates where you need buy-in and fresh ideas from the team (e.g., marketing, design, or R&D). Furthermore, it raises team spirit and dedication at work.

Real-Life Example: Google management surely does give democracy a big role in management. They not only allow employees to devote part of their time (sometimes referred to as "20% time") to personal projects but also use online forums to collect input and feedback about the future direction of the company. Such an open-minded and open-sided approach to management is believed to be one of the main sources of creativity in the case of Google (Pichai, 2015).

Mostly C's: The Laissez-Faire (or Delegative) Manager

Your Style: You are a leader who allows others to take the initiative. You have total faith in your work group. You set them a target and give them a lot of leeway to reach it. Only then do you participate when you are invited or if the situation is really troublesome.

When It Works: This is the ideal style of management for a group of highly skilled and experienced professionals. It is suitable for the kind of working place where individual talent and expertise are essential (as in scientific research or programming). It creates a sense of ownership.

Real-Life Example: Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is known for his use of this technique with the companies he acquires. He buys already profitable firms and, after that, he allows the current management groups to operate them with nearly total independence. He trusts smart people and lets them do the work (Lowenstein, 2008).

Beyond the Quiz: Blending the Different Management Styles

It’s rare to be 100% one type! Most great leaders use a mix. This is called situational leadership. You change your style based on the team member and the task.

* A new employee needs an Autocratic (A) style for training.

* An experienced specialist needs a Laissez-Faire (C) style for their deep work.

* Your whole team needs a Democratic (B) style for setting quarterly goals.

Mastering these management styles is a continuous journey. You must constantly observe your team. Ask yourself: "Does my current style help or hurt this situation?"

Your Next Step

Now you have a better idea of your natural style from this simple management quiz. What's about to happen?

1. Contemplate: Request honest criticism from a reliable team member or coworker. Does their perception of your style correspond to your quiz results?

2. Play: For a certain non-critical task, attempt to take on a different style. In case you are the one who exercises autocratic power, then get rid of everything and let the group work on it as if it were their own, to see what the outcome would be (Laissez-Faire)!

The change in the workplace is a never-ending story. The great leaders are those who are able to adapt their style to the changing times. Utilize your newly acquired knowledge of management styles to morph into a leader who is both strong and flexible.