Multipliers possess an eye for talent, encouraging others to develop and grow. They openly acknowledge the contributions of team members while pushing them to reach their full potential.
Liz Wiseman presents in this revised and updated edition of her best-selling book the five disciplines that differentiate Multipliers from Diminishers, and offers tips, experiments and strategies on becoming an influential Multiplier leader.
1. Focus on your strengths
Focusing on your strengths and leveraging them in new ways are the keys to becoming an effective leader, according to research conducted by Gallup. People who can identify their talents and apply them in their work experience greater satisfaction and success on both a personal and professional level.
Wiseman describes the Multiplier Leadership style, in which leaders increase the intelligence and capabilities of those they lead. Multipliers bring out genius from everyone within an organization or team – thus making everyone smarter than they would otherwise be. Wiseman contrasts Multipliers with Diminisher Leadership which depletes an organization’s intellectual resources because the leader becomes so focused on their own brilliance they stifle those around them with ideas they themselves deem superior.
If you’re having difficulty pinpointing your top talents, try listing your accomplishments or taking one of the many available assessment tools (like Myers Briggs or Gallup Strengths Finder). Or ask a trusted friend to help identify what their true strengths are.
Understanding your strengths is essential, but so too is surrounding yourself with people who complement and enhance them. As we discussed in Episode Three of this series, avoiding people who are narcissistic and self-absorbed is essential for personal growth; surround yourself with people who will encourage and inspire you to challenge yourself even when doing so means leaving comfort zones behind. Doing this will allow you to become an even better leader while learning from others’ successes and failures.
2. Take a risk
Simply stated, the multiplier effect is an additional positive impact that investments have on aggregate income and the economy as a whole. It often stems from an increase in asset values such as real estate or stocks which then increases overall portfolio values or it could come through dividend or interest payments that lead to greater returns from these investments.
Liz Wiseman, author of the New York Times bestseller Multipliers and Rookie Smarts, is an award-winning leadership expert who helps organizations to transform their leadership culture. Her focus lies on cultivating leaders who “amplify the intelligence and capabilities” of their teams – this creates a multiplier effect where more can be accomplished with less while building teams prepared to face bigger challenges.
One of the main distinctions between Multipliers and Diminishers is their ability to delegate responsibility, empower others to make decisions, and encourage stretching of self. They do not attempt to be the smartest person in a room – this allows their teams to unleash their genius while rewarding them with tremendous results.
She emphasizes the fact that effective leaders do not possess all of the answers; rather, they know how to ask probing questions that stimulate thought among their team and elicit different perspectives on issues. These leaders excel at drawing out people’s best qualities even during challenging or uncertain conditions; she highlights an often-cited leadership problem known as an Accidental Diminisher who unintentionally diminishes teams without knowing it; she shares insights into becoming more effective leaders through this insightful dialogue.
3. Ask for feedback
One of the key ways to become a more effective leader is listening to feedback from your team. There are various approaches you can use, but one of the most efficient ways is scheduling one-on-one discussions with each member of your team – these meetings could take various forms; formal or casual conversations should always take place in a private and neutral location.
Allow them to open up and feel at ease by sharing their opinions with you. Expect some resistance; take it in stride as an opportunity to improve performance.
After your feedback session, take time to take stock and determine your next steps. If there are areas for improvement, set goals for yourself and commit to making those changes; or if there are certain things that need letting go, accept them and move forward with life.
Liz Wiseman, best-selling author and Wall Street Journal bestseller Multipliers author, shares some key concepts from its newly revised and updated edition on Blanchard LeaderChat. She discusses why some leaders drain away intelligence and capabilities of their teams while multipliers make everyone smarter for better results; furthermore she sheds light on ‘Accidental Diminishers,’ well-intentioned leaders who unwittingly suppress people’s potential.
Liz Wiseman’s insights on amplifying leadership are especially pertinent today in our increasingly remote working environments. Tune into this podcast as she discusses ways to avoid accidentally diminishing others and the most practical shift you can make as a multiplier leader – as well as inspiring your team members to be future multipliers themselves!
4. Listen to learn
As a leader, your goal should be to foster the best outcomes for your team members. Do this by listening and then encouraging them to take action based on what is presented from within their teams. Developing this practice requires learning how to listen in order to hear employees voices.
Many leaders find it challenging to step back and listen, believing their knowledge and answers are superior. Yet leaders who listen in order to gain can become more effective by gaining insights into the complexity of their problems, learning about what teammates are experiencing first-hand and being better informed decision makers themselves.
An effective way to enhance your listening is by paying attention to the body language you exhibit when listening. Avoid yawning, scratching your nose or rolling your eyes – make eye contact with the speaker and remain calm – these actions demonstrate that you are paying attention and demonstrate respect. They may also help you understand how best to approach colleagues in future discussions.
Listening and learning are integral parts of success in an environment of constant flux. Leaders using this leadership style harness the collective intelligence of their teams – an important aspect of managing change successfully. Individuals able to shift from diminisher behavior toward multiplier behaviors will have the greatest positive effect on resilience and adaptability of their organizations.
Liz Wiseman is an internationally acclaimed researcher and executive leadership advisor, founding The Wiseman Group. She has provided insight and advice to thousands of leaders from around the world and published several popular books. With both an undergraduate degree in business management and master’s in organizational behavior from Brigham Young University under her belt.
5. Inspire others
Motivating others to support your ideas, share expertise and rally around you requires mastering the art of persuasion. Being an excellent listener and giving their point of view equal consideration is the key.
Wiseman discovered through her research on leaders ranging from middle school history teachers to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies that the most effective leaders are Multipliers – individuals who increase the collective intelligence by multiplying it among their teams. According to Wiseman, these Multipliers “genuinely make people smarter and feel like winners”, she states. They attract top talent while simultaneously energizing organizations. Liberators allow employees to freely express themselves while Challengers allow open discussions on issues openly yet respectfully.
As part of being an effective leader, and inspiring others, it’s key to understand your values and be able to express them clearly. Additionally, knowing what motivates yourself and your team members as well as creating a culture of trust, accountability, and respect are also vital components. Navy SEALS are well known for their high standards and dedication towards excellence while simultaneously building the trust of other government agencies, military units, community leaders and even their opponents to meet success head on.
Liz Wiseman, PhD is a leadership expert and president of The Wiseman Group in Silicon Valley, a leadership research and development firm. She conducts research on leadership, talent management and collective intelligence as well as writing for various leadership journals. Liz has lectured on leadership at universities and business schools worldwide and holds both a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Brigham Young University as well as an MA in Organizational Behavior from Northwestern University. In her latest book entitled Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter she explores what differentiates these types of leaders from those that diminish team intelligence versus those that amp up intelligence while also detailing how to become one yourself!
