• The Enforcer: Adheres to the letter of the law. Is very familiar with company policy and believes there is no room for deviating from the stated guidelines

• The Ruler: Loves power, loves having final approval, changes policy to comply with any given circumstance

• The Diplomat: Always trying to please everyone, avoids taking a position on the issue

• The Friend: Wants to be “friends” with everyone, finds holding others accountable extremely difficult, is hurt when not included in social situations

• The Instigator: Actually creates havoc. Has little regard for keeping confidential information and enjoys being “in the know”

• The Flyer: Always on the run, can’t stay to chat, may or may not have time to respond to your inquiry or request

• The Invisible: Very hard to locate, often missing from meetings and/or leaves early from meetings, never around when needed

• The Mystery: Direct reports are extremely hesitant to make a decision in his/her absence because they’re not sure what their position might be. Lots of indecisiveness amongst staff (typically because this management style is also often “Invisible”)

• The Exhausted: Always worn out, always over worked, always overwhelmed

• The Surveyor: Can’t make a decision without getting consensus or bringing in a focus group. Really does not understand the meaning of “sense of urgency”

• The Observer: Is happy to watch everyone else work, has no problem delegating, loves to “test” employees

• The Show Boat: Always takes credit for EVERYTHING. Must be the center of attention

• The Pontificator: Also somewhat of a “Show Boat”. Loves to “hold court” giving his point of view, restating past experiences, has an extremely hard time (if at all) getting to the point

©2010 Lisa Broesch. All rights reserved internationally. Permission granted to excerpt or redistribute with attribution and notification.