Multipliers

1. Multipliers amplify intelligence, while Diminishers drain it

Multipliers get twice the capability from people as do Diminishers.

The Multiplier Effect. Multipliers are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. They create an environment where everyone's intelligence is valued and utilized, leading to increased productivity and innovation. In contrast, Diminishers are leaders who drain intelligence and capability from their teams, often unintentionally, by micromanaging and underutilizing talent.

Key differences:

• Multipliers believe that people are smart and will figure things out
• Diminishers assume they are the smartest person in the room
• Multipliers create space for others to contribute
• Diminishers tend to dominate conversations and decision-making

Impact: Organizations led by Multipliers can potentially double their effective workforce without adding headcount, as they get more from their existing resources.

2. The Talent Magnet attracts and optimizes capability

A players attract other A players. Their smarts and passion make other smart, passionate people want to work here.

Cultivating genius. Talent Magnets are leaders who not only attract top talent but also know how to leverage and develop that talent to its fullest potential. They create a cycle of attraction where smart people want to work for them because they know they'll grow and be challenged.

Key practices:

• Look for talent everywhere, beyond organizational boundaries
• Identify and label people's "native genius"
• Connect people with opportunities that utilize their strengths
• Remove blockers that impede growth and performance

By contrast, Empire Builders (the Diminisher counterpart) hoard resources and underutilize talent, creating a cycle of decline where top performers become disengaged and leave.

3. The Liberator creates space for best thinking and work

You want your people to fail early, fast, and cheap—and then learn from it.

Balancing freedom and accountability. Liberators create an intense but not tense environment where people feel both the safety to contribute their best ideas and the pressure to perform at their highest level. They understand that people's best thinking must be given, not taken.

Practices of a Liberator:

• Create space by restraining themselves and listening more
• Demand people's best work by setting high standards
• Generate rapid learning cycles by encouraging experimentation

Liberators contrast with Tyrants, who create a tense environment that suppresses people's thinking and capability through domination and fear.

4. The Challenger extends and grows people's capabilities

The best thing about being a preferred employer is that it gets you good people, and this launches a virtuous cycle.

Stretching potential. Challengers are leaders who define opportunities that stretch people beyond their current capabilities. They believe that people grow through challenge and that intelligence expands through being tested.

Three-step process:

1. Seed the opportunity by showing the need or reframing problems
2. Lay down a challenge that is both concrete and stretching
3. Generate belief in what's possible through small wins and co-creation

Challengers differ from Know-It-Alls, who give directives that showcase their own knowledge but limit what the organization can achieve to what they personally know how to do.

5. The Debate Maker drives sound decisions through rigorous debate

It is better to debate a decision without settling it than settling a decision without debating it.

Harnessing collective intelligence. Debate Makers understand that with enough minds, they can figure out complex problems. They create a decision-making process that not only leads to better decisions but also prepares the organization to execute those decisions effectively.

Key practices:

• Frame the issue clearly before debate begins
• Create safety for best thinking while demanding rigor
• Drive sound decisions by reclarifying the process and communicating rationale

This approach contrasts with Decision Makers, who often make decisions within a small inner circle, leaving the broader organization in the dark and unprepared to execute.

6. The Investor gives ownership and accountability for results

The reward for winning a pinball game is to get a chance to play the next one.

Building capability and independence. Investors are leaders who give other people the ownership for results and invest in their success. They understand that their role is to invest, teach, and coach, while keeping the accountability for results with their team members.

Three-step process:

1. Define ownership clearly
2. Invest resources, including teaching and coaching
3. Hold people accountable for results

Investors differ from Micromanagers, who maintain ownership and create dependency, limiting the growth and capability of their teams.

7. Becoming a Multiplier is a choice and a journey

Give yourself permission to be better than your boss.

Transformational leadership. Becoming a Multiplier is a deliberate choice that requires self-awareness, intention, and practice. It's not about perfection, but about consistently moving along the continuum from Diminisher to Multiplier behaviors.

Strategies for becoming a Multiplier:

• Work the extremes: Focus on neutralizing your biggest weakness and amplifying your greatest strength
• Start with the assumptions: Adopt the mindset that people are smart and will figure things out
• Take the 30-Day Multiplier Challenge: Focus on one practice for 30 days to build new habits

The journey to becoming a Multiplier is not just about personal growth, but about creating a ripple effect that can transform organizations and even societies by fully utilizing the intelligence and capabilities of everyone.

Last updated: January 22, 2025