REALTOR® Magazine Online: Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Manager?

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Developing Leadership Skills

Communicating Like a Leader

Leading Others

Making Time to Lead

Handling Difficult Employees

Developing Your Team

Dealing with Stress

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Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Manager?

To find out, print out this quiz and then ask someone who knows you well to answer the questions. Before you see the results, take it yourself. You'll find out how your perceptions of yourself match up with how others see you.

When answering the questions, think of how often you exhibit behaviors in the workplace that result in each outcome described. Answer the questions as honestly as possible. Circle the appropriate number to the right of each question. At the end of the quiz, you'll see a link that will let you access an explanation of your score.

To what extent does the person:	Never	Seldom	Occasionally	Always	Often
Take risks, even if not certain of the outcome	2	4	6	8	10
Work towards helping others achieve their goals	2	4	6	8	10
Have a need to influence others	2	4	6	8	10
Have strong convictions about what is right and what is wrong, that others know about and that they personally follow	2	4	6	8	10
Enhance/improve the self-confidence of others	2	4	6	8	10
Criticize/reprimand people when they do the wrong thing	2	4	6	8	10
Make themselves available when others need them	2	4	6	8	10
Have confidence/a strong self-concept that other’s see	2	4	6	8	10
Show a true caring for the well-being and interests of others	2	4	6	8	10
Show displeasure if others do not meet expectations	2	4	6	8	10

Click Here for Your Score

The above quiz and a larger, 20-question survey were developed and copyright by industry expert Dr. Michael Abelson and are based research on charismatic leaders, on Dr. Abelson’s Participatory Benevolent Dictatorship approach to leading, and on several studies Dr. Abelson conducted of effective managers in 16 real estate companies. For permission to use either this or the 20-question format or for more information on leadership and leadership training contact him at P.O. Box 10102, College Station, TX, 77842, 888-ABELSON, abelson@abelson.net; abelson@tamu.edu.

Are You Leading or Following?

Another simple way to assess your management abilities is to complete the following exercise over the course of one week.

1. Divide a piece of paper in half. Label one side “positive” and the other side “negative.”
2. On the positive side, write down all the times during the week when you feel in control of situations.
3. On the negative side, write down the times you did not control situations effectively.
4. If, at the end of a week, you have more negative situations than positive ones, perhaps you should reconsider your desire to manage others.

Adapted from Real Estate Office Management , Real Estate Brokerage Managers Council, Real Estate Education Co., 1996.

What Sort of Manager Are You?

While great leaders share many of the same qualities, they also display diverse personality types.

The Dictator. Seizes total control of all situations and doesn’t encourage team interaction.
Pluses: Allows for quick decision-making. Ensures that the company follows the direction that you want.
Minuses: Discourages creativity in others and may damage morale. Limits the inflow of new ideas.

The Humanistic Autocrat. Assumes a paternalistic, care-taking role but retains tight control of decisions.
Pluses: Provides a good comfort level for many workers accustomed to this style from parents and teachers. Allows quick decisions and clear accountability. Often provides a warm, compassionate atmosphere.
Minuses: Limits workers’ growth and creativity, although it provides more recognition than the dictatorial style. May reduce decision’s effectiveness due lack of expertise of all parties.

The Includer. Encourages participation and fosters a more democratic environment.
Pluses: Provides access to a wide variety of ideas in the company. Gives workers a sense of ownership and empowerment.
Minuses: A desire for consensus often slows the decision-making process. Runs the risk of bogging down in seemingly endless meetings. May make manager appear weak or indecisive.

The Spectator. Manages by doing, or seeming to do, nothing. Lets workers set their own direction.
Pluses: Generally liked by workers. Gives skilled workers the opportunity to be creative and try new ideas.
Minuses: Could easily lead to chaos. May create a sense of indifference among workers. Undermines manager’s authority.

Next Page: Q&A With a Leadership Coach

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