A small group of businesspeople walking up hill with a leader in front holding a flag
iStock/Overearth

Leadership: a coveted state of being in charge and telling people what to do.

If you’re nodding your head at that, you might want to rethink your leadership priorities before someone keys your car.

Leadership encompasses a lot of things, though it’s the power to call the shots that many non-leaders crave. Most leadership images (like the one for this article) are similar: lines of hikers with a flag-brandishing man in front, a captain standing proudly at the prow of a ship, maybe a V formation of geese. In other words, they show leaders with their backs to their teams—or sometimes standing alone with no team at all.

Effective leaders know their role is more than just pointing the way. It’s a unique combination of duties that has little to do with management, decision-making, or bossing people around. Rather, it’s is about becoming a conduit between your team and the big-picture goals set by your organization. Must-have qualities include communicating with your people and helping them advance their skills so they can serve the company and their individual careers.

On top of all that, leaders face plenty of obstacles from outside: digital transformation, a global pandemic, and new demands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, to name a few. Some are welcome challenges, even opportunities for business growth. But that doesn’t mean leaders find any of them easy.

As we move ahead into a new era of business, it’s more important than ever for leaders (both existing and aspiring) to understand what’s expected of leadership. If you aim to count yourself among the leaders of the future, here’s a quick quiz to gauge where you stand. Do you understand what’s being asked of you?

How did you score? Were you surprised to learn what’s expected of a leadership role, or did you find you have a solid grasp of your leadership foundations? There’s always more to learn, of course, so whether you scored high or low, don’t stop now!


If you enjoyed this quiz, we have lots of others! Consider testing your readiness for the future with our digital transformation quiz. Or if you’re having trouble communicating with your coworkers, this critical thinking quiz might help you identify solutions.

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