Self-Assessment
Leadership Style Quiz
Discover your leadership approach with this assessment based on the Full Range Leadership model. Are you more transformational, transactional, or hands-off?
Research-inspired · Based on Bass & Avolio's work
Three Leadership Styles
Research shows leadership behaviors fall along a spectrum. This quiz measures how often you use each approach when you're in charge of a team or project.
How to answer: Think about how you typically behave when leading others. If you haven't had a formal leadership role, consider group projects, volunteer work, or any time you've taken charge. There are no right or wrong answers.
Your Leadership Profile
Based on the Full Range Leadership model
Your Scores Explained
What This Means For You
- No single "best" style: Effective leaders often use a mix of approaches depending on the situation. Transformational behaviors tend to correlate with positive outcomes, but transactional clarity also matters.
- These are behaviors, not traits: Leadership style can be developed. If you want to be more transformational, you can learn those behaviors.
- Self-perception vs. reality: How you see yourself may differ from how others see you. Consider asking trusted colleagues for feedback.
- Context matters: Some situations call for more structure (transactional), others for inspiration (transformational). True laissez-faire is rarely effective.
The Research
From the Research
"The instruments examine different approaches to leadership, from passive leaders, to leaders who give contingent rewards to followers, to leaders who transform their followers into becoming leaders themselves."
— Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1995). Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Manual . Mind Garden, Inc.
The Full Range Leadership Model
Transformational Leadership involves inspiring followers to exceed expectations through vision, intellectual stimulation, and individual attention. These leaders build trust, communicate values, encourage creative thinking, and mentor their team members.
Transactional Leadership focuses on exchanges between leader and follower. Leaders set clear expectations, monitor performance, and provide rewards for meeting goals. This includes clarifying what's expected and addressing problems when they arise.
Passive/Avoidant Leadership involves avoiding responsibilities and delaying decisions. At its extreme, this is laissez-faire leadership where the leader essentially abdicates their role, only intervening when problems become serious.
From the Research
"A meta-analysis of MLQ studies found that transformational leadership was positively correlated with leader effectiveness, subordinate satisfaction, and subordinate extra effort."
— Lowe, K. B., Kroeck, K. G., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (1996). Effectiveness correlates of transformational and transactional leadership . The Leadership Quarterly.
What Research Shows
- Transformational leadership is consistently linked to higher team satisfaction, commitment, and performance across industries and cultures
- Contingent reward (a transactional behavior) also shows positive effects and correlates with transformational leadership
- Passive/avoidant behaviors are negatively correlated with effectiveness. Leaders who wait for problems to become serious before acting tend to have less satisfied and less productive teams
- The model has been validated across cultures, genders, and organizational types
From the Research
"Female leaders were more transformational than male leaders and also engaged in more of the contingent reward behaviors. Male leaders were generally more likely to manifest the other aspects of transactional leadership and laissez-faire leadership."
— Eagly, A. H., Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C., & van Engen, M. L. (2003). Transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles . Psychological Bulletin.
How We Built This Assessment
This quiz is inspired by the Full Range Leadership model developed by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio. We created original questions that measure the same three broad leadership dimensions while respecting intellectual property.
About this tool: This assessment is based on the Full Range Leadership Model framework. We use original question wording designed for educational self-reflection. The MLQ is a proprietary instrument published by Mind Garden, Inc. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the original authors or publisher.
Our Item Design
- Transformational (5 items): Covers the five facets of transformational leadership: building trust, acting with integrity, inspiring others, encouraging innovation, and developing people
- Transactional (2 items): Covers contingent reward (clarifying expectations and rewards) and active management (monitoring for problems)
- Passive/Avoidant (2 items): Covers passive management (waiting for problems to escalate) and laissez-faire (avoiding involvement)
Scoring Method
- Each item uses a 5-point frequency scale (0 = Not at all to 4 = Frequently)
- Scores are averaged within each category for comparability
- Higher transformational and transactional scores generally indicate more active leadership
- Lower passive scores are typically better (effective leaders minimize avoidance)
Sources We Drew From
- Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1995, 2004). Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Manual
- Carless, S. A., Wearing, A. J., & Mann, L. (2000). Global Transformational Leadership Scale
- Antonakis, J., Avolio, B. J., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (2003). Nine-factor validation study
What Makes Leaders Effective?
Meta-analyses of leadership research show clear patterns in what behaviors correlate with effectiveness.
| Leadership Behavior | Link to Effectiveness | Practical Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Transformational | Strongly Positive | Inspiring vision and individual attention drive engagement and performance |
| Contingent Reward | Positive | Clear expectations and fair rewards build trust and motivation |
| Active Management | Mixed | Useful for catching problems early, but can feel like micromanagement |
| Passive Management | Negative | Waiting for crises frustrates teams and damages trust |
| Laissez-Faire | Strongly Negative | Absence of leadership leaves teams directionless and unsupported |
Based on meta-analytic findings from Lowe et al. (1996) and subsequent research
Common Questions
Yes. Unlike personality traits, leadership behaviors can be learned and practiced. If you scored low on transformational behaviors, you can deliberately work on communicating vision, giving individual attention to team members, or encouraging creative thinking. Many leadership development programs specifically target these skills with measurable results.
Research shows transformational leadership correlates with better outcomes on average, but context matters. Routine tasks may need clear transactional structure. Crisis situations might require directive action. The ideal is usually a foundation of transformational behaviors supplemented by appropriate transactional elements. The key is minimizing passive/avoidant behaviors, which are consistently harmful.
Leadership happens at all levels. You might lead project teams, mentor junior colleagues, organize community groups, or simply influence decisions informally. The behaviors measured here apply to any situation where you guide or motivate others. Your results still reflect how you tend to approach those situations, even without a "manager" title.
About This Quiz
What This Tool Is
A free self-reflection quiz inspired by the Full Range Leadership model (Bass & Avolio). We wrote original questions based on published research descriptions of transformational, transactional, and passive leadership behaviors.
Important Limitations
- Adapted framework: The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire is proprietary (Mind Garden, Inc.). Our items are original adaptations based on the Full Range Leadership Model. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the original authors or publisher.
- Educational purpose: This tool is designed for self-awareness and reflection, not for hiring decisions, performance reviews, or formal evaluation.
- Self-perception only: Self-perception can differ from how others see you. For comprehensive leadership development, multi-rater feedback provides additional perspective.