Are You the Leader You Think You Are? Take a Test!
- Susanna Romantsova
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
Most leaders believe they’re fostering a great team environment. They assume their teams feel motivated, engaged, and supported. But after working with hundreds of leaders, I’ve seen that perception and reality often don’t match.
Leadership is not about how you feel you’re doing—it’s about the experience your team has under your leadership.
If you’re pushing for performance but your team is anxious, hesitant, or disengaged, you might be leading in ways you don’t even realize.
If you pride yourself on being a supportive leader but your team struggles to take initiative, you may be over-prioritizing comfort at the expense of growth.
So, how do you truly know what kind of leader you are?
🚀 That’s Why I Built the Leadership Scorecard
Most leadership assessments take too long, focus on abstract qualities, or fail to connect leadership directly to team trust, engagement, and performance.
I designed a quick, research-backed scorecard that gives you real, actionable insights into how your leadership style is shaping your team’s success.
🔍 Take the Free Leadership Scorecard Now →
The 4 Leadership Styles—Which One Are You?
Your leadership likely falls into one of four key styles, each with unique strengths and challenges. Where do you land?
1️⃣ Comfort Anchor (High Psychological Safety, Low Performance Drive)
💡 Your team feels safe—but are they growing?
You prioritize harmony, well-being, and connection.
But underperformance may go unchecked.
Your team might hesitate to take risks or step outside their comfort zone without a clear challenge.
🔑 What to improve:
You need to challenge your team more—not in a harsh way, but in a way that pushes them to stretch and grow. Psychological safety should fuel performance, not replace it.
2️⃣ Anxious Enforcer (Low Psychological Safety, High Performance Drive)
💡 Your team delivers results—but at what cost?
You set high standards and drive your team to meet ambitious goals.
But fear may be limiting creativity and ownership.
Your team might be avoiding risks, hiding mistakes, or feeling burned out under pressure.
🔑 What to improve:
You don’t need to lower your expectations, but your team needs more psychological safety. High performance is only sustainable when people feel safe to experiment, ask questions, and fail forward.
3️⃣ Absent Captain (Low Psychological Safety, Low Performance Drive)
💡 Your team lacks direction—but they might not tell you.
Some team members take initiative on their own.
Others feel disengaged due to a lack of clear guidance or support.
Without strong leadership, the team might feel disorganized, confused, or unsupported.
🔑 What to improve:
Your team needs more structure, accountability, and engagement from you. Being hands-off can work for highly independent teams, but most teams need both trust and direction to thrive.
4️⃣ Caring Challenger (High Psychological Safety, High Performance Drive)
💡 You balance trust and challenge—but it’s not always easy.
Your team thrives because they feel both supported and pushed.
You embrace constructive tension and make space for honest feedback.
Everyone on your team feels safe speaking up—while still striving for excellence.
🔑 What to improve:
You’re already leading in a way that unlocks team potential. Keep refining how you balance support with stretch, especially as challenges change.
The Science Behind the Scorecard
This framework is rooted in research on psychological safety and performance, including the work of Amy Edmondson, whose studies on team dynamics identified the Four Zones of Psychological Safety.
As a certified Fearless Organization Practitioner, I’ve worked with teams worldwide to help them shift from low engagement and fear-based cultures to environments where trust fuels innovation and results.
📌 The best leaders continuously reflect and grow.
Now it’s your turn.
Find out your leadership style—and practical steps to grow.
Take the Free Leadership Scorecard Now → scorecard.susannaromantsova.com/leader
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