Most managers have one or two styles they reach for instinctively. That's not wrong - but if it's your only mode, it's costing you. This 4-minute assessment shows you your default, your blind spots, and how to build range.
8 questions. 4 minutes. No right or wrong answers.
Daniel Goleman studied 3,000+ leaders and found six distinct styles. The best-performing teams were led by people who could flex between four or more.
Decisive. Takes charge. Powerful in a crisis, brutal as a default.
Leads by example. Sets the standard. Burns the team out if used too long.
Develops others. Builds long-term capability. Slow when speed matters.
Builds buy-in. Surfaces ideas. Risks decision paralysis.
Sets direction and meaning. Inspires. Falls flat without execution.
Tends relationships. Builds trust. Drifts without honesty alongside.
The best managers don't pick a style. They flex between them, depending on the person, the task, and the stakes.
Most managers don't. They reach for the same approach in every situation - and assume the people around them just need to keep up. The crisis manager keeps issuing orders when the urgency has passed. The coach keeps asking questions when someone needs a clear answer. The peacemaker keeps smoothing over what should be confronted.
None of these are wrong styles. They're just wrong for the moment. And the cost shows up in the people who burn out, the high performers who quietly leave, and the team that stops bringing you problems because they can predict exactly how you'll react.
Every default has a shadow side - the way it shows up at its worst, the cost it creates without you realising. The Style Guide names yours. It also tells you exactly which styles to develop next and gives you one thing to try this week.
The first step is knowing what you reach for first.
The assessment shows you your scores across all six styles, names your default, and shows you the styles you avoid. Then it gives you the tools to flex — so you can match how you lead to what the situation actually needs.
No fluff. No spam. A clear read on how you lead, and how to lead better.
By taking the assessment you'll get your results, the Style Guide and Decision Tree PDFs, and Behind Closed Doors (my weekly newsletter). One-click unsubscribe, any time.
Goleman studied 3,000+ leaders across hundreds of organisations and found that the best-performing teams were led by people who could flex between four or more styles. Most managers default to one.
Built by Arran Russell, who spent 15 years scaling a business from a small team to 60+ people across the UK and Europe. Made every mistake in this assessment along the way.
Free. Personalised Style Guide and Decision Tree PDFs. Plus the weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe any time.