Every boss has their own way of doing things, their own mannerisms and their own way of dishing out work, rewards and reprimands. Despite these differences, all bosses can be put into groups.

Knowing what type of boss you are will let you know how your employees view you, and will hopefully make you a better boss.

• The Martyr Boss - The martyr boss has done, does, and always will do anything for the good of the company. He has worked Christmas Day, with pneumonia, in a snowstorm.

• The Screamer Boss - The screamer boss seems to think that he will get his way if he raises his voice to an unconscionable level: the higher the volume, the higher the commitment.

• The Fearmonger Boss - People do what they say because they’re afraid of him, which actually encourages further intimidation. He always has a threat, and he constantly follows through with that threat in order to keep his employees acquiescent.

• The Manipulator Boss - Extremely intelligent and one of the most dangerous. The manipulator boss is highly focused, very motivated, and always has a secret plan. He looks at people as a means to an end; the world is a giant pyramid and the people he runs over on the way to the top are casualties he writes off.

• The Bumbler Boss - The dunce of the bosses. When bumblers are promoted, they are notorious for creating new positions of responsibility for the people underneath them to cover up their shortcomings..

• The Clueless Boss - The clueless boss is not dumb – he’s just uneducated. Perhaps he just started with the company, is unfamiliar with the technology, or is temporarily out-of-touch due to personal problems. A clueless boss can be a good boss who is just off-track at the moment.

• The Old-Schooler - Dwells on the good ol’ days and 'the way things used to be.' However, if he is so entrenched in the past, eventually he will stop being able to function in the present. An old-school boss, despite his resistance to move on, does have a great deal of information and can contribute to the best interests of the organisation.

• The God Boss - A true megalomaniac who beleives it's about power. You’ll notice the engraved gold plate on his office door, desk, and chair proclaiming his rank. He might take outrageous liberties like having an employee clean out his car. When questioned him, he’ll just point to the gold plates.

• The Teflon Boss - This non-stick boss is especially prominent in the public sector. Any blame slides right off him. He does not give straight answers to straight questions. If something goes wrong, unparalleled documented evidence surfaces to prove he was somewhere else at the time.

• The Absent Boss - Always missing in action, the absentee boss will return to their desk to find that it has sprouted weeds. Seeing themselves as being out on important business, most people see them as slacking off..

• The Paranoid Boss - The paranoid boss is outright suspicious of everyone’s motives and anything anyone does could be attempts to undermine him. These feelings of inadequacy will clearly end up interfering in what’s best for the company and his employees.

• The Absorbant Boss - Though this boss might present himself as tough, he can barely hide his inadequacies. He takes the world’s worries on his shoulders, fretting about little details. He arrives at the office in the morning, flushed and frazzled, because he was lying awake the night before agonizing over numbers and orders.

• The Buzzword Boss - The buzzword boss loves his designer clothes, cars, pen, and toothbrush. What he loves even more are those clichés he heard at the latest management seminar. This boss adores the fact that there’s no “I” in team, that he can’t spell success without “u”.

• The Buddy Boss - The buddy boss wants to be a friend, not a 'superior'. People are scared of getting too close to him, partly because they want to keep work and personal relationship separate, partly because they don't fancy doing whiskey shots on a Monday lunchtime.

• The 2-Second Boss - He impulsively demands control over situations cutting off whatever it is you;re string to say because he doesn’t have time to discuss it. He frequently, yet randomly, asks you to write reports on your progress, but will rarely remember that he’s asked.

• Lone Wolf Boss - The lone wolf prefers to ride solo. He stays in his office or works from home, avoiding human contact, especially employee interaction. He could be a technical whizzkid who was promoted based on his outstanding hard skills, but he’s not necessarily a people person.

• The Perfectionist - The perfectionist is a micro-manager who likes to control every aspect of the work and the company. Employees feel like pawns on his chessboard and are reluctant to use their initiative and intuition through fear that their ideas will be quashed.

• The Eccentric - The eccentric boss has unrealistic expectations for his staff. He has a unique way of completing his work, and expects his employees to work in the same manner. He can be gentle, but often causes confusion around his expectations and explanations of projects.

And last but not least, The Great Boss - The supportive motivator, the boss who treats everyone with fairness regardless of politics. He communicates, keeps an open door policy, and encourages others to follow suit. He leads by example, provides superior training, and a positive work environment. He has vision, is not afraid, and doesn’t scream. He coaches his staff, and when employees leave, they will talk about him for years to come.

Anything ringing any bells?