Don’t choose the answer you think a “good leader” should give.
Choose the one that matches your gut instinct—when you’re tired, caffeinated, and five minutes behind schedule.

If none of the answers feel perfect, pick the one closest to your natural reflex.

This quiz will help you see how you tend to drift under stress. A copy of the quiz below can be found in the Course Workbook.

1. A lead teacher calls out 10 minutes before their shift. Your first thought is:

A) “Fine, I’ll just do it myself. It’s faster than calling a sub.”
‍B) “I hope the other teachers don’t get mad when I ask them to cover.”
C) “This is a violation of the handbook. I need to write them up immediately.”

2. You walk past a classroom and see a teacher on their phone while kids are playing. You:

A) Sigh and walk past—you’ve got 10 other things to do and can’t deal with the drama right now.
B) Make a mental note to bring it up later (but probably won’t).
C) Walk in and abruptly tell them to put it away, feeling a surge of irritation.

3. A parent approaches you with a complaint about a tuition increase. You feel:

A) Exhausted. You empathize, then explain the rising costs, all while mentally juggling the 99 other things on your list.
B) Guilty. You agree with the parent to avoid conflict and say it’s out of your control.
C) Defensive. You explain the facts—it’s a business decision, and not up for long discussion.

4. Your desk is currently:

A) Cluttered—covered in “to-do” lists and sticky notes.
B) Mostly clear—but only because you’re constantly in classrooms helping others, with no time to finish your own work.
C) Organized—but you’re the only one who knows where anything is.

5. When a staff member makes a recurring mistake, you typically:

A) Fix it for them while grumbling under your breath.
B) Mention it gently and thank them for listening.
C) Point it out immediately—no matter who is around.

‍

Your Stress Persona

The quiz reveals how your leadership tends to drift when you're overwhelmed.

Mostly A’s: The Firefighter

Fear Response: You’re afraid of losing control—or being seen as “unhelpful.”
The Drift: You prioritize doing over leading, which trains your team to rely on you instead of thinking for themselves.
The Fix: Space. Stop rushing in. When you create space, your team has room to develop their own problem-solving muscles.

Mostly B’s: The Peacekeeper

Fear Response: You’re afraid of conflict or being disliked.
The Drift: You avoid hard conversations, which allows gossip and low standards to quietly take root.
The Fix: Candor. Remember: clear is kind. Avoiding the truth doesn’t reduce stress—it multiplies it.

Mostly C’s: The Perfectionist

Fear Response: You’re afraid of failure—or the center looking unprofessional.
The Drift: You lead with “the hammer” instead of “the heart.” Your staff follows rules, but they're afraid to make mistakes.
The Fix: Connection. People rise to your standards when they feel you’re on their side, not on their backs.

Hybrid Personas

If you answered with a mix, you may carry more than one drift pattern.

A + B: The Exhausted Martyr

The Drift: You do everyone’s work because you’re afraid they won’t like you if you hold them accountable.
The Fix: Boundaries. Your time is your center’s most valuable resource. Stop spending it on tasks that belong to others.

A + C: The Micro-Manager

The Drift: You do everyone’s work because you don’t trust them to do it “the right way.”
The Fix: Delegation. You’re not scaling your center—you’re bottlenecking it. Trust the process, not just your own hands.

B + C: The Resentful Observer

The Drift: You see every mistake but stay quiet to avoid conflict—and your frustration simmers.
The Fix: Voice. Silence is permission. When you don’t speak up, you’re choosing resentment over resolution.

The Pivot Starts Here

Whatever your drift, your growth starts in the same place:

‍Day 1: The Pause.

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