What’s Your Style? Take Charge? Take It Easy? Take Off?

It’s one of the oldest laws of management, probably dating back to great generals such as Robert E. Lee (or at least Lee Iacocca): When the going gets rough, you’ll see three personality types emerge: those who lead, those who follow and those who get out of the way.

So which type are you? Here are a few scenarios to help you decide:

1. You are being considered to lead a group of co-workers on an important, high-pressure task. Your attitude:

Lead: Count on me.

Follow: Count the number of workers who could be talked into taking the job.

Get out of the way: Count the number of sick days you can take.

2. You are picked to head the task force. You ask yourself the following question:

Lead: “Whom do I need on my team to properly accomplish this assignment?”

Follow: “Whom do I know who’s gullible enough to take this assignment off my hands?”

Get out of the way: “Whom do I see about trying to get overtime for this?”

3. Which of the following members of a famous group most resembles you in a team situation?

a. Rat Pack:

Lead: Frank Sinatra

Follow: Sammy Davis Jr.

Get out of the way: Joey Bishop

b. Fab Four:

Lead: John or Paul

Follow: George or Ringo

Get out of the way: Pete Best

4. Your idea of an ideal leader is:

Lead: George Washington

Follow: George Patton

Get out of the way: George Costanza

5. In your high school yearbook, you were listed as:

Lead: The student voted most likely to succeed.

Follow: The student voted most shy.

Get out of the way: Not pictured (forgot to show up for photo).

6. At your high school reunion 20 years later, you are:

Lead: A confident, effective leader at work and at home.

Follow: Hourly worker at the seventh manufacturer you’ve worked for in five years.

Get out of the way: Can’t be found by the reunion committee.

7. Your leadership goal can best be described as:

Lead: A desire to break down walls.

Follow: A desire to break for the exits when your shift ends.

Get out of the way: A desire to take as many breaks as possible.

8. As a risk taker, your attitude toward failure is:

Lead: I celebrate my mistakes and learn from them.

Follow: I celebrate that someone above me will take the bullet.

Get out of the way: I celebrate that my fingerprints aren’t near this debacle that cost the company $250,000.

9. Which of the following best sums up your resume:

Lead: Has held responsible positions supervising the work of others.

Follow: The word “downsized” appears in every other sentence.

Get out of the way: Numerous jobs and claims that can’t be independently confirmed.

10. The best thing about being tapped to be a top leader at my company is:

Lead: If I perform, I will be rewarded with the satisfaction of knowing that I pulled together a group of people to perform an important task.

Follow: If I screw up, I can go back to the swing shift in Dayton.

Get out of the way: If I get fired, the stock options vest immediately.