Psychology Test - Are you a leader or a follower

Are you a leader or a follower?
1. What is the highest position you have ever attained during your working career?
a) manager
b) supervisor
c) no supervisor or management position

2. Have you ever served on a committee?
a) yes, as chair
b) yes, as a committee member
c) no

3. Do you think you would make a good politician?
a) yes
b) maybe
c) no

4. To which of the following ambitions do you most aspire?
a) to reach the very top of my profession
b) to be financially secure
c) to have a good and stable family life

5. Do you prefer to keep up to date with the latest fashions, or do your own individual thing?
a) do my own thing
b) a bit of both
c) keep up with the latest fashions

6. What do you think about taking orders?
a) not very happy
b) it is sometimes necessary and I don’t mind providing the orders are sensible and reasonable
c) I don’t mind at all

7. What style of work do you prefer?
a) organising
b) being left to my own devices
c) being organised

8. A colleague with whom you have worked for many years on an equal footing is suddenly appointed to a position of seniority above you. Which of the following is most likely to be your reaction?
a) quite upset and not sure if you can stomach it
b) you wonder why it isn’t you, but hope you can work with your colleague in the future and that it won’t affect your friendship
c) although disappointed it wasn’t you, you don’t reveal any negative feeling to your colleague, and offer your congratulations

9. When you first started work, did you expect that one day you would be the boss?
a) yes
b) I hoped I would be rather than expecting it
c) I didn’t think about it that much

10. Have you ever organised anything in your community such as a Neighbourhood Watch scheme?
a) yes
b) no, but perhaps one day I might get more involved
c) no, I am happy to leave such things to others

11. Were you ever head boy head girl at your school?
a) yes
b) no, but perhaps one day I might get more involved
c) no

12. Do you regard yourself as something of a trend setter?
a) yes
b) sometimes perhaps
c) not particularly

13. Would you leave a steady and secure job with no prospect of promotion, for a less secure job with similiar pay, but with very high prospects of promotion?
a) yes
b) not sure what I would do unless the situation actually arose
c) no

14. Do you look up to people in authority?
a) no
b) sometimes
c) yes, usually

15. Do you believe that deep down we are all equals?
a) no
b) yes, although some are more equal than others
c) yes, I am a believer in a classless society

16. Do you believe in strong trade unions?
a) no
b) to a certain extent
c) yes

17. Have you ever organised a campaign against something you did not agree with or did not believe in?
a) yes
b) no, but I have participated in such a campaign
c) no

18. Which of the following politicians do you most admire?
a) Margaret Thatcher
b) Bill Clinton
c) Lech Walesa

19. Do you think strong leadership is necessary in the 21st century?
a) yes, there will always be a need for strong leadership
b) strong leadership is all well and good so long as we do not become a nanny state
c) no, strong leadership is an outmoded concept. Cooperation between all is much more important than strong leadership

20. Do people outside your immediate family ever turn to you for advice?
a) yes, often
b) sometimes
c) never or rarely

21. Does the thought of being in power give you a kick?
a) yes
b) no
c) I have never even thought about it

22. You are in a restaurant with a group of friends where the service is deplorable. After waiting for over one hour and having made numerous complaints, which of the following do you think is most likely to be your next course of action?
a) suggest everyone abandons the evening and all walk out in protest
b) sit there and complain and ask everyone else for their opinion of what should be the next course of action
c) wait for someone to make a suggestion and go along with the majority whatever they decide

23. Have you ever organised any sort of special get together or reunion?
a) yes, on several occasions
b) yes, once
c) never

24. How sensitive are you to scathing criticism?
a) it is like water off a duck’s back to me
b) I try not to let it bother me, although it can be hurtful on occasions
c) Which of the following do you think is the most important leadership attribute?
a) charisma
b) motivation
c) experience


Assessment
Award yourself 2 points for every ‘a’ answer, 1 point for every ‘b’, and 0 points for every ‘c’.
35-50 points
You exhibit great leadership qualities and this is what you aspire to, if indeed you have not reached the heights in your chosen career already.
If there is anything to organise you are only at your happiest if it is you doing the organising. You like to lead from the front, and be seen to being doing so, and find it frustating to be in a situation where someone else is taking over the reins instead of yourself.
This is fine so long as you do not become impatient with people who might question you from time to time. Remember that no one is ever too old to learn, or change the way they do certain things from time to time, and often consultation is as much an important part of strong leadership as expecting people to follow your lead unquestioningly.
Keywords : ambition, drive, determination, resilience.

16-34 points
You exhibit good leadership qualities and like to be at the forefront of things, although to you this is not the most important thing in your life and you are happy to let someone else take over the reins providing you are consulted and agree with what they are doing, and the way they are doing it.
Keywords : conscientious, team-player, patient, philosophical.

Below 16
It appears that you do not aspire to be a leader and are happier for others to take the initiative.
This is fine for you and although it is unlikely that you will reach the dizziest heights of leadership due to your lack of ambition, your hard work and graft could bring you some unexpected promotion from time to time.
To a great extent you may lack confidence in your own ability and do not wish to be seen as someone who likes to push themselves continually forward. You are the tradisional grafter, happy with your lot, and the niche in life you have created for yourself.
Keywords : content, hard-working, unambitious, unselfish.