What Kind of Leader Are You?

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Key Takeaways

  • This leadership style quiz can help you determine whether your approach is autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, or transformational.
  • Knowing your dominant style can help you understand your strengths and challenges when it comes to guiding others.
  • Most people use a mix of the four main leadership styles, and it’s often beneficial to adjust your approach according to the situation.

Everyone approaches leadership in their own way. Your leadership style shapes how you communicate, make decisions, and guide the people who rely on you. Taking this leadership style quiz is a great way to learn more about whether you lead with clear structure, shared decision-making, hands-off support, or inspiration. Regardless of your role, understanding your style can provide valuable insights into your strengths and help you better identify your blind spots.

Take the Leadership Style Quiz

Researchers have put together a framework for all the styles so we can identify and understand the leaders in our lives and how their style influences the people who work for them. If you’re curious about your leadership style or that of someone you know, take this quiz.

Who This Leadership Style Quiz Is For

This quiz is meant for anyone who is interested in finding out what their leadership style is and how their approach jives with their team. They might also be curious to identify the leadership style of a manager or authority figure in their life and how they can use that knowledge to better understand their behaviors.

Because not all people are the same or have the same approach to work, figuring out your or your boss’s leadership style—and explaining that style—can help ease workplace tensions and create a more compassionate and empathetic workspace

Hannah Owens

The Leadership Theory Behind This Quiz

This quiz is based on the four basic leadership styles:

  • Autocratic
  • Democratic
  • Delegative
  • Transformational

These leadership styles were established through research led by psychologist Kurt Lewin.

The initial three styles he encountered (authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership) paved the way for more defined leadership theories into what we know today as the four basic ones above. 

What’s the Best Leadership Style?

In general, the transformational leadership style is known to be most effective in a business sense. Some researchers have even referred to it as “the gold standard” when it comes to leadership.

Emotionally intelligent and driven, transformational leaders help their organizations achieve their goals while inspiring their teams to reach their full potential.

However, it is important to remember that there is no single “best” style of leadership. The right leadership approach depends on the situation.

  • Transformational leadership: When a group has a shared vision, and the leader can serve as an inspirational role model
  • Democratic leadership: In situations where team members have the knowledge and expertise to contribute to shared decision-making
  • Autocratic leadership: When the leader is the most knowledgeable, or when efficiency and structure are needed
  • Laissez-faire leadership: When team members are highly skilled, self-motivated, and able to work independently

At the same time, different situations and end goals may call for different leadership styles, and no one leadership style is better than the others.

Can I Have More Than One Leadership Style?

Yes! In fact, most leaders will find that a combination of multiple leadership styles is the most influential approach. A good leader will adapt to the needs of their team members, the situation at hand, and the goals of the organization or group.

Understanding your results on this leadership style quiz can help you recognize your dominant style so you are able to lean into your strengths, but also help you adapt your approach to different situations.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Davis CR. Administrator leadership styles and their impact on school nursing. NASN Sch Nurse. 2018;33(1):36-39. doi:10.1177/1942602X17714202

  2. Al-Thawabiya A, Singh K, Al-Lenjawi BA, Alomari A. Leadership styles and transformational leadership skills among nurse leaders in Qatar, a cross-sectional study. Nurs Open. 2023;10(6):3440-3446. doi:10.1002/nop2.1636

  3. Rosing F, Boer D, Buengeler C. When timing is key: How autocratic and democratic leadership relate to follower trust in emergency contexts. Front Psychol. 2022;13:904605. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.904605

  4. Specchia ML, Cozzolino MR, Carini E, et al. Leadership styles and nurses’ job satisfaction. Results of a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(4):1552. doi:10.3390/ijerph18041552

Kendra Cherry

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.”


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What Happened to My Energy and Anxiety When I Switched From Coffee to Matcha

by with No Comment Dating Tips, Guide and Advice


  • Matcha provides longer-lasting energy without the crash and anxiety that coffee can cause.  
  • The combination of caffeine and L-theanine in matcha promotes calm alertness and balanced energy.
  • Matcha is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants that help protect the body from cell damage.

Most wellness articles about trying a new wake-up beverage start with some version of “I’ve always been a coffee girl…” but I have not always been a coffee girl. Or, let me rephrase that: I love the taste, smell, and culture of coffee, I love the silky smooth foam on a cappuccino, I love a snooty barista with a twirly mustache. Sadly, the beverage doesn’t agree with me.

For years, I drank coffee and endured the intense jitters, anxiety spikes, and mood crashes that followed. I’d walk around with a ballooning cortisol knot-in-your-stomach feeling until finally it dissipated and I’d either fall asleep or cry. I thought this was normal and simply the price we paid for an hour or two of energy. Turns out, I was wrong, because there are—and always have been—several other natural energy-boosting drinks I could try instead.

One of those drinks is matcha, which I switched to about a year ago and never looked back.

Nowadays, my bright green morning beverage gives me a milder but longer-lasting energy boost without the crash or impending anxiety attack. 

Green Tea, But Different

Matcha is a traditional Japanese tea popularized by the Zen Buddhist Monk Eisai, who brought the beverage—made from the ground-up leaves of shade-grown tea plants—to Japan from China around 1100 AD. Eisai used pulverized green tea leaves in his tea ceremonies, and the practice quickly caught on.

To this day, matcha tea is made by whisking hot water with the finely ground leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. This is the same plant as regular tea, but using the entire leaf increases its nutritional value. Most high-quality matcha tea powder is still grown in Japan.

Five to ten years ago, if you were seen walking around with a cup of iced matcha, you’d probably get at least one person asking what on earth that bright green beverage was. Nowadays, matcha is a ubiquitous cafe menu item. It all started in 2015 when Goop founder and celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow posted about drinking matcha lattes on Instagram, and it’s had an upward trajectory ever since. 

I will say, the earthy, vegetal flavor of powdered green tea can take some getting used to. But just like espresso, it pairs deliciously with a little milk and sweetness. I personally like to drink it with steamed oat milk and honey. But if you enjoyed the base complexity of espresso, you’ll probably like matcha too.

What Are the Benefits of Matcha?

The grassy green hue of a matcha latte would make anyone feel like they’re being healthy, but is there nutritional validity to the aesthetic?

Yes! Matcha green tea powder contains high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances in the form of catechins and polyphenols. These molecules reduce free-radical damage in the body and promote cell rejuvenation, potentially protecting against cancer and other diseases.

Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that has a calming effect on the body and helps balance out the feeling of overstimulation from caffeine. It also helps the body absorb caffeine more gradually. Plus, studies show that the combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves mood and cognitive performance.

Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, Culinary Dietitian, explains: “Matcha provides a calm alertness thanks to a combination of caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation. Though both contain caffeine and beneficial antioxidants, L-theanine is a key compound in matcha that sets it apart from coffee and helps prevent the jitters.”

The tea leaves used for matcha are always young and shade-grown. This increases chlorophyll content, thus giving them more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals than other varieties of green tea.

Just Enough Caffeine

In terms of caffeine content, matcha falls somewhere between coffee and tea at about 70 mg per cup. To put that in perspective, a cup of regular green tea contains about 30mg of caffeine, and a cup of coffee contains about 100mg. Therefore, matcha will certainly give you a boost! 

Barbie Cervoni, MS, RD, says: “Matcha is often used as an alternative to coffee due to its unique flavor and reduced caffeine content. Exact caffeine amounts will depend on brewing methods and how much is used, but on average if you were to use 1 teaspoon of matcha in 8 ounces of water, you would receive about 19-44 mg of caffeine as compared to an 8-ounce cup of coffee that provides 80-100 mg of caffeine.”

Both are rich in antioxidants, but for people who are sensitive to caffeine or have a history of anxiety, switching to matcha may ease symptoms related to anxiety and insomnia.

—
BARBIE CERVONI, MS, RD

How I Felt When I Switched to Matcha

I’ll admit, when I first switched from coffee to matcha, there was a bit of a transition period. Despite the negative side effects I was experiencing from coffee, my body still craved the familiarity of espresso and that jolt you get from those first sips. Still, I persevered through the initial caffeine withdrawals and bought the supplies to make quality matcha lattes at home. This included buying a milk frother to get the full experience.

One of the biggest draws of switching to matcha was that a matcha latte feels like an espresso drink. It still has the same soft texture and consistency as a traditional coffee drink and usually even a latte art design on top.

And just as with a traditional coffee drink, there are many ways to tailor your matcha beverage to your flavor preferences. I like honey and steamed oat milk in mine. Regular black tea just doesn’t have the same appeal.

After drinking matcha for a little over a week, I noticed two key changes in how I felt:

  • The caffeine felt different. Instead of a big spike in energy that lasted an hour or two at most, I felt a more subtle boost that lasted about twice as long.
  • My anxiety decreased dramatically.

I recognize that both of these outcomes were most likely a direct result of the L-Theanine present in matcha, something I was extremely thankful for!

“If you’ve noticed a difference in how your body responds to coffee versus matcha, it’s not all in your head. Coffee perks you up almost instantly while matcha slowly and gently boosts your energy,” says Moore.

Now, with fewer energy crashes and a more managed cortisol response, I’m better able to self-regulate and handle stressors throughout my day. Minor dramas and inconveniences feel less consequential. I feel more OK, content, willing to face the world with less intimidation—whatever will be will be. Deep inhale, longer exhale, et cetera.

How to Make Matcha at Home

  • Step 1: Purchase a ceremonial grade matcha. Ceremonial grade is best for drinks, and culinary grade is slightly lower quality, better for cooking. You’ll also need to buy a matcha whisk and a matcha scoop. These two usually come sold together and are inexpensive. 
  • Step 2: Scoop 1 tsp of matcha into a shallow cup or bowl. You want it to be shallow and wide enough to fit a matcha whisk into. A standard mug will be a bit too deep.
  • Step 3: Heat your water to not-quite-boiling. The exact temp is about 170 degrees Fahrenheit, but simmering water will suffice. Boiling water is discouraged as it can burn the leaves. Pour about 1/3 cup of water into the cup with the powdered matcha.
  • Step 4: Whisk. Using your designated matcha whisk, briskly stir the matcha and hot water together until fully incorporated. This part is important because you don’t want any little clumps of matcha powder hanging out at the bottom of your cup. 
  • Step 5: Now you can drink your matcha as is (hardcore) or add a sweetener and milk of your choice. Plant milk is a better choice if you want to reap all the antioxidant benefits. The casein in cow’s milk binds to the catechins and makes it harder for your body to absorb

Keep In Mind

I’m actually being serious about all of the above, but obviously, I’m not some kind of perfectly chill monk now simply because I started drinking matcha. I still have bad days, and I still drink coffee sometimes (particularly when I’m visiting my parents, who take pride in their cappuccino-making skills), but matcha helps. In general, I love that I’m no longer expending my energy to cope with the physical and emotional side effects coffee gave me.

And speaking of not being a monk, I’m a huge proponent of everything in moderation. If you decide to incorporate matcha into your routine, you don’t have to go “full green” forever to reap the benefits. Maybe just try swapping a couple of your weekly coffees for matcha and see what happens.


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