Author: Liz Wiseman
My Rating: 5/5
Summary: A book that explores why some leaders drain capability and intelligence from their teams while others amplify it to produce better results.
My Takeaways
There are 2 types of people: Multipliers and diminishers
Multipliers look beyond their own genius by extracting the genius from others.
Multipliers get 2x more from people because they extend and grow intelligence from others.
People reported that they got smarter from multipliers
Diminishers believe their genies is a rare bread and that they need to solve problems.
Multipliers believe intelligence can be cultivated. They find ways to stretch the individual and bring the right people together in an environment that lets them figure it out.
Multipliers challenge people and consult with others.
- set a safe environment
- Are debate makers that generate buy-in
- Hold people accountable with high standards
- Assumes people are smart
- Talent magnet and that leverages people’s contributions at their highest point
- Liberator who creates a safe environment for people to do their best work.
- Challenger that defines an opportunity that challenges people to stretch
- Investor who gives other people ownership and invests in their success
Diminishers are
- micromanagers
- Assumes people won’t figure it out with me
- Tyrant who creates a tense environment
- Know it all
- Decision maker
Multipliers have a hard edge that expect great things
Multipliers don’t play small and have a great sense of humor. See comedy in error. Puts others at ease and allows others to be them selves. Use humor to create comfort
Diminishers don’t know they are diminishers.
Multipliers get 2x more from their resources compared to diminishers.
Multipliers are genius makers
Diminishers are empire builders who hoard resources
Multipliers bring out the best in others by creating an environment that brings out people best.
Liberators create space, pressure instead of stress
Multipliers demand peoples best work by defending the standard, distinguishing best work vs outcome
Multipliers generate rapid learning cycles. They admit and share mistakes.
Peoples best effort must be given not taken
Liberators have soft opinions. Soft opinions are perspectives you have to offer and ideas for others to consider.
Hard opinions are perspectives that are clear and emphatic. Offer these sparingly.
Multipliers play the role of the challenger if they don’t know the answer. As opposed to diminishers who believe their team’s capabilities stop at the leader’s knowledge.
Multipliers set a challenge by asking tough questions, and then give the team space to come up with the answer.
Multipliers stretch and test their team
Multipliers make goal setting collaborative so it makes the goal more tangible for the team.
Multipliers argue all sides of the decision
- Frame issues. Find the right issue to formulate the right questions for others to solve.
- Spark the debate. Make the question engaging and fact based and educational
- Reclassify the decision making process
Multipliers are investors who give their people ownership they need to produce results independent of the leader by doing the following.
- Defining ownership. (Name the lead, give owners for the end goal and stretch the role.)
- Invest resources. Do this by teaching and coaching
- Hold people accountable. Expect complete work and the consequences.
Be an investor by giving others 51% of the vote and asking for the solution to a problem.
Micromanagers get people who expect to be told what to do.
Investors get people who take initiative.
Multipliers can become accidental diminishers.
Multipliers get 2X more out of their teams compared to diminishers. This equates to more output from the same number of resources instead of additional additional resources to get more output.
Effective multipliers generally have at least 3 of the 5 multiplier traits outlined in this book. They neutralize a weakness and top off a strength.
You can run mini experiments within your organization to adopt a multiplier mindset and build a multiplier culture..
Spotlight multiplier moments and integrate business metrics to achieve a multiplier mindset.