Multipliers, by Liz Wiseman
My nuanced notes on her excellent exploration of the key differences between great and terrible managers.
Multipliers is one of my favorite reads on management. I love Wiseman’s assertion that a great manager (a multiplier) can get 2x the value out of someone, whereas a bad manager (a diminisher) will only get 50% of the value. Before the person leaves, of course.
As you’ll see in the notes below, the dimensions across which someone can be good or bad will vary, and even a great manager will often only be truly great across a few of the dimensions. Also valuable to consider are the ways someone can easily lapse into being an “accidental diminisher” (chapter 7), especially when we are well-meaning but end up preventing people from feeling full ownership over their work.
I highly recommend reading Wiseman’s book in full, and every manager should have a copy on their bookshelf for good measure. If you don’t already have yours, feel free to purchase either from Amazon or Bookshop.
Chapter 1: The Multiplier Effect
A Multiplier is someone who “invokes each person’s unique intelligence and creates an atmosphere of genius — innovation, productive effort, and collective intelligence.” They aim to be the genius maker instead of the genius who is smarter than everyone else. And they accomplish this without being a push-over (a.k.a. it’s not about being nice).
Fundamental reality: a) most people in organizations are underutilized; b) all capability can be leveraged with the right kind of leadership; and c) intelligence and capability can be multiplied without requiring bigger investment.
Multipliers are better at a) extracting intelligence (getting 100% of what a person has to offer rather than 50%); and b) extending intelligence (getting more out of someone than they thought they could give).
Core assumption: Multipliers believe that "people are smart and will figure it out.” Diminishers believe that "intelligent people are rare and they’ll never figure it out without me.”
Chapter 2: The Talent Magnet
Multiplers “attract talented people and use them at their highest point of contribution.” This draws still more talented people toward them, since people want to work where they will be fully utilized and developed to be ready for the next stage. Diminishers, in contrast, are empire builders who hoard and underutilize great talent, only using them for their own gain. To become a talent magnet:
Look for Talent Everywhere: Appreciate all types of genius, and ignore the formalized boundaries of org charts. The talent network within an organization is what truly matters. (Also, poach people from your competitor.)
Find People’s Native Genius: Look for what is native/natural/easy for someone, and label it. “If you can find their genius, you can put it to work.”
Utilize People to Their Fullest: Connect people with opportunities, and shine a spotlight. Focus on their growth potential more than their current ability.
Remove the Blockers: Get rid of prima donnas (who might be diminishing everyone around them). Make sure that you don’t become a blocker for your team’s success.
You will never run out of talent by helping people move on to bigger and better opportunities. Instead, that will build a reputation which will ensure a steady stream of great people looking to work with you. Cultivate the reputation as the person who will help A-players grow to the fullest. Ask: What’s the next challenge for you? What would be a stretch assignment? What’s getting in the way of your being successful?
Diminisher Red Flags: seeing the only issue with performance being that people don’t report to you, focusing too much on the direct lines to you in the org chart, insisting on being the point of integration with other teams and projects, taking credit for successes, or letting people languish. Or the teams where people “quit and stay.”
Chapter 3: The Liberator
Multipliers “cultivate an intense environment that requires people’s best thinking and work,” which inspires people to offer their best effort and boldest thinking. Diminishers, in contrast, are tyrants who create a tense environment that suppresses people’s thinking and capability because they only bring up safe ideas that the leader agrees with. To become a liberator:
Create Space: Restrain your contributions during meetings (imagine you have a small number of chips to play), maintain a high ratio of listening to talking, define a space for discovery (label your opinions), and level the playing field. All of this will release others to contribute.
This is important in moments of crisis. Help your team focus on what truly matters.
Focus on listening by asking, probing, and learning how they think about the issues.
Build a “Risk and Iterate” program. Identify something to take a risk on and iterate solutions through the year.
Demand Best Work: Defend the standard (without setting the answer). Distinguish best work from outcomes. [Example history teacher who cultivates “a professional and serious environment, which gets lighter and more fun as the students work harder.”
Winning is not a measure of doing your best. Your chance of winning improves as people more consistently do their best work.
Hold someone accountable for running the experiment and doing their best. Don’t hold them accountable for the outcome of the experiment.
Generate Rapid Learning Cycles: Admit, share, and insist on learning from mistakes.
There is a fine balance between intense and tense. The path of least resistance is usually tyranny (especially for talented leaders who have a lot of ideas of how things should be done). Instead, offer these fair exchanges: “I give you space; you give me back your best work.” “I give you permission to make mistakes; you have an obligation to learn from the mistakes and not repeat them.”
Diminisher Red Flags: dominating meeting time, being a bully, swinging between positions and creating whiplash for the organization, punishing mistakes, judging others, believing that pressure increases performance, hiding your mistakes.
Chapter 4: The Challenger
Multipliers “define opportunities that challenge people to go beyond what they know how to do,” which inspires people to understand and focus on the most important thing (the challenge). Diminishers, in contrast, position themselves as the “know-it-all.” The directives they issue showcase how much they know, and leaves the team using their energy in deducing what their boss thinks. To become a challenger:
Seed the Opportunity: Show the need, challenge the assumptions, reframe problems, and create a compelling starting point. Embrace the full range of motion where you “see and articulate the big thinking and ask the big questions, [while] also connecting that to the specific steps needed to create movement.”
Lay Down a Challenge: Extend a concrete challenge to your team (e.g. a “mission impossible” target), ask the hard question, and let others fill in the blanks. Inviting someone to do something hard, when done in the right way, “can actually create more safety than if you ask for something easier.” For example, asking someone for a “30 percent answer in 2 days” to enable a decision about whether to pursue a 50% answer in the subsequent week is an effective way to frame incremental expectations.
Generate Belief in What is Possible: Helicopter down (take the challenge to the ground level), co-create the plan (people are more likely to believe a plan is viable when they participate in writing it), and orchestrate an early win (ideally where the entire organization can make incremental progress together instead of an isolated team).
Set aside your need to know (or articulate) the answer and recognize that people get smarter and stronger by being challenged. Good questions to ask include: “What do you think might go wrong?” “How do we accomplish X by Y date, with only X resources available to us?” Or “Here are some trends we see in the market. How do you think we should respond?”
Diminisher Red Flags: Insisting on being the smartest one in the room, quizzing people on nuanced topics in front of others (often to trap them), framing suggestions as if people are stupid for not having done or thought of it already, telling people what you know (in a way that doesn’t invite contribution), telling people how to do their jobs, or if your team is sitting idle waiting for you to make decisions.
Chapter 5: The Debate Maker
Multipliers engage people in debating ideas upfront, which leads to sound decisions that their people understand and can execute efficiently. Diminishers, in contrast, position themselves as the decision maker who decides efficiently with a smaller inner circle and leave everyone else in the dark to debate the soundness of the decision. They spend meetings selling their ideas rather than discussing them. To become a debate maker:
Frame the Issue: Define the question, form the team, assemble the data (required for having a strong opinion while leaving room for other ideas), and frame the decision. Avoid the mistake of debating a topic rather than a question. Think more along the lines of “Should we cut funding for project A or project B?” Instead of “Where should we cut expenses?”
Remember: “As leaders, probably the most important role we can play is asking the right questions and focusing on the right problems.” (Tim Brown, IDEO)
Spark the Debate: Create safety for best thinking, while still demanding rigor. Aim for the debate to be a) engaging (the question is compelling); b) comprehensive (the right information is shared to create a holistic understanding of the issues); c) fact-based (not opinion); and d) educational (people leave more focused on what they learned). One trick is to encourage people to switch sides to consider the other perspective.
Drive a Sound Decision: Re-clarify the decision-making process, make the decision, and communicate the decision and rationale .
Diminisher Red Flags: focusing on the “what” rather than the “how” or “why” of a discussion; dominating the discussion (with your own ideas); forcing decisions (or short-cutting rigorous debate).
Chapter 6: The Investor
Multipliers give people the investment and ownership they need to produce results and achieve success independent of the leader. Diminishers, in contrast, micromanage every detail in a way that creates dependence on them for the organization to perform. To become an investor:
Define Ownership: Name the lead (make it clear who is accountable), give ownership for the end goal (make sure they have ownership for the whole picture), and “stretch the role” (by asking capable people to do things they’ve never done before). Strike a balance where you can remain involved in the operational details while keeping ownership with others.
Invest Resources: Teach and coach others by identifying what they need to know instead of by telling others what you know. Provide backup (ideally someone other than yourself who they can go to for help, which prevents you from jumping in to rescue).
Hold People Accountable: After you do help, make sure to give ownership back (e.g. the metaphorical pen at the whiteboard), expect complete work (ask for the fix, not just the problem), and respect natural consequences. Simple sequence: What solutions do you see to this problem? How would you propose we solve this? … and then: “I’m happy to help think through this, but I’m still looking to you to lead this going forward.”
Example from Rugby coach Larry Gelwix: “There are two options: the coaches can keep trying to figure this out [e.g. to improve team endurance] or you as the captains can take ownership for finding a solution. What should we do? … Right now I own this challenge. Once you take it on, you’ll own it completely. We’ll expect an update from you two weeks from today, but we won’t bug the team at all.”
Prompt: imagine that you’re a sports coach. It’s illegal for you to run onto the field, and you can’t get in the way of the players actually playing the game. How do you help them succeed when you can’t jump in and take over?
Diminisher Red Flags: assigning piecemeal tasks to subordinates (without giving any real responsibility); clinging to ownership over projects; giving people “marching orders” for the day; jumping in and out of involvement depending on the stakes of the project (being inconsistently involved); taking ownership back as little crises bubble up during the workday (remember: it’s your job to manage the work, not do the work); saying “I told you so” after failure.
Chapter 7: The Accidental Diminisher
It’s common for managers, despite their best intentions, to have a diminishing impact on their teams. Here are the common profiles:
Idea Guy: Creative, innovative thinkers who intend to stimulate ideas in others. Reality: they overwhelm others, who shut down or spend time chasing the idea du jour.
“It is easy to get idea lazy around people who are idea rich.”
Workaround: Create a holding tank. Before sharing new ideas, stop and ask yourself if you want people to take action on this now or not. If not, save it for later.
Always On: Dynamic, charismatic leaders who intend to create infectious energy and share their point of view. Reality: they consume all the space, and others tune them out.
“When the leader is always on, everyone else is always off.”
Workaround: Just say it once. Instead of repeating yourself for emphasis, create a reason for others to chime in and build on the idea. Set expectations for others to speak up.
Rescuer: Empathic leaders who are quick to help with they see people struggling to ensure they are successful (and to protect their reputation). Reality: people become dependent (which weakens their reputation).
“As leaders, sometimes we are most helpful when we don’t help.”
Workaround: Ask for their FIX. When someone brings you a problem or signals a need for help, remind yourself that they probably already have a solution. Ask, “how do you think we should solve it?”
Pacesetter: Achievement-oriented leaders who lead by example and expect others to notice or follow their high standard for quality or pace. Reality: people become spectators or give up when they can’t keep up.
“As leaders, sometimes the faster we run, the slower others walk. When leaders set the pace, they are more likely to create spectators than followers.”
Workaround: Stay within sight. If you have a tendency to pull out ahead, remind yourself to stay within sight, so people don’t give up or get lost. Stay within a distance that someone could catch up.
Rapid Responder: Leaders who are quick to take action believing they are building an agile, action-oriented team. Reality: their organization moves slowly because the leader is the bottleneck of too many decisions or changes.
When the leader is always “on-it” (and beats you to the punch), the people around them tend to react slowly, if at all.
Workaround: Set a mandatory waiting period. Wait 24 hours (or however many) before responding to any email that falls into someone else’s job. Give them the right of first response.
Optimist: Positive, can-do leaders who think their belief in people will inspire them to new heights. Reality: people wonder if the leader appreciates the struggle and possibility of failure.
“When the leader sees only the upside, others can become preoccupied with the downside.”
Workaround: Signal the struggle. Before offering boundless enthusiasm, acknowledge how hard the work is. Let people know, “What I am asking you to do is hard. Success isn’t guaranteed.”
Protector: Vigilant leaders who shield people from problems to keep them safe. Reality: people become dependent on their help and protection.
“If the leader continually protects people from danger, they never learn to fend for themselves.”
Workaround: Expose and inoculate. Expose your team to the harsh realities in small doses, so they can learn from their mistakes and develop strength.
Strategist: Big thinkers who cast a compelling vision thinking they are showing people a better place and providing the big picture. Reality: people defer up and second-guess the boss rather than finding answers.
“If you’ve built a reputation as a big thinker, don’t be surprised if people save the big thinking for you.”
Workaround: Don’t complete the puzzle. As you paint a picture of the future, leave sections for your team to complete. Frame the puzzle by establishing the WHY and the WHAT, but let your team fill in the HOW.
Perfectionist: Leaders who strive for excellence and manage the fine details to help others produce superior work. Reality: people feel criticized, become disheartened, and stop trying.
“Sometimes a 90 percent solution executed with 100 percent ownership is better than getting it 100 percent right with a disengaged team.”
Workaround: Define the standards of excellence up front. Let people know what “outstanding” looks like and define the criteria for completeness. Ask people to self-assess by the standards.
Gather direct feedback from your team as to how you might be unintentionally diminishing them. Ask: “How might I be shutting down the ideas and actions of others, despite having the best intentions? What am I inadvertently doing that might be having a diminishing impact on others?” Cultivate habits - e.g. waiting 24 hrs to reply to emails - which help mute your accidental diminisher qualities.
Chapter 8: Dealing with Diminishers
You can still be a multiplier in your organization while working for a diminisher. Our most common responses to diminishing behavior - confrontation, avoidance, compliance (followed by lying low) - are the least effective strategies for constructively dealing with the situation. [Example story of someone who shaped their (formerly diminisher) manager’s view of effective leadership by acting “as if” they were a multiplier.] "Give yourself permission to be better than your boss. And then watch the organization take notice."
Break the "diminishing death spiral" by responding with curiosity instead of judgment. This usually leads them to “turn down the volume on Perfectionism, Rescuing, Pacesetting, and other diminishing practices, allowing you more space to think and work.” Remember: a) it's not necessarily about you (your actions are not necessarily the root cause, but your reactions might be making it worse); b) diminishing isn't inevitable (we still choose how it will impact us); and c) you can lead your leader (so guide them on how to use you best). There are three different levels:
Level 1: Deflect Diminishing Actions: Strategies to survive: turn down the volume (e.g. interact with them less frequently without falling into avoidance); strengthen connections with others; retreat and regroup (while staying in the game); send the right signals (e.g. provide assurance of delivery and then follow through); assert your capability (e.g. ask for time to try on your own); ask for performance intel (clarify the desired outcome and whether you’re hitting the target). If all else fails, shop for a new boss.
Level 2: Find Proactive Plays: "Diminishers want to be valued for their intelligence and ideas [... and] Multipliers enjoy finding other people’s genius and engaging it." Strategies to multiply upwards: exploit your boss's strengths (don't try to change them, but use their knowledge and skills to support your work); give them a user's guide to how you work best; listen to learn (e.g. don't dismiss strong criticism too quickly, but ask questions that get them to explore the pros and cons of their ideas); admit your mistakes (failing to do so can reinforce their belief that you won't figure it out without them); sign up for a stretch (not just more work, but something hard you haven't done before or don't yet know how to do); invite them to the party (which signals there's nothing to hide and allows you to influence how they contribute).
Level 3: Inspiring Others to be Multipliers: Strategies: assume positive intent (which also establishes a common goal); address one issue at a time (instead of unloading all frustrations at once); celebrate progress (reward all behavior in the positive direction). Remember, "No matter how just the cause, we cannot diminish someone into being a multiplier."
Chapter 9: Becoming a Multiplier
Even the best Multipliers may have been Diminishers in the past. [Story of Bill Campbell who early on was brought to his senses by his executive team and then resolved to do better.] Working differently requires a) resonating with the underlying distinction between Multiplier and Diminisher; b) realizing the ways in which you may be acting (today) as an accidental diminisher; and c) resolving to become a multiplier. When doing this for yourself:
Identify & examine your assumptions: Do you assume people will never figure this out without you, or that they're smart and will figure it out? What assumptions do your actions reveal?
Work on the extremes: amplify your strengths (turn into superpowers); neutralize your weaknesses (move into the neutral "acceptable" zone so they don't hold you back). You don't need to be strong in all multiplier dimensions.
Run experiments: pick a dimension you aspire to develop, make it real (“How can I challenge John?”), and learn from it. (For a more extreme version, ask a colleague to set a challenge for you, selecting from the experiments in the appendix. You get a natural accountability partner.)
Brace for setbacks: remember this is an ongoing effort. You will likely stumble back into old Diminisher habits while you cultivate new ones.
Cultivating a Multiplier culture at scale requires a concerted effort, though its best when you "start small and build on a series of successive wins." Establish:
Common language: e.g. discuss the book; discuss traits of accidental diminishers.
Learned behaviors: e.g. weave Multiplier mindsets into day-to-day moments shared by the team by training the managers to consciously apply these new ways of interacting with others.
Shared beliefs: e.g. codify a leadership ethos that reflects aspects of the Multiplier approach
Heroes and legends: e.g. draw attention to Multiplier moments; have employees rate their managers against Multiplier practices
Rituals and norms: e.g. stay the course with Multiplier habits as a cornerstone of your culture and they will turn into the deeply established norms all members share. [Note: this deviates from the book].
Regarding cultural change: "When middle managers experiment with the Multipliers mindsets and practices inside their organizations, they produce pockets of success—anomalies that catch the attention of senior executives and corporate staffers who are highly adept at detecting variances (both negative and positive). When senior executives notice positive outcomes, they are quick to elevate and endorse the new practices, in turn spreading the practices to other parts of the organization. In other words, most senior executives are adept at spotting a parade and getting in front of it! (Incidentally, this is one of several executive skills you won’t find documented on any official leadership competency model.)"
Conclusion: Building a Multiplier culture is a) good for the individuals who find working for a Multiplier to be a richly satisfying experience; b) better for the organization that can now better respond to new challenges with their limited resources; and c) better for the world overall, since society benefits from having more "genius makers" out in the world.