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With the explosion of information, for example, doubling every nine months in science and technology,1 there is simply too much for any one person to know. Consequently, the role of leader has shifted, too—moving away from a model where the manager knows, directs, and tells and toward one where the leader sees, provokes, asks, and unleashes the capabilities of others.
Operational leaders entrenched in the logic of resource allocation and addition argue: 1. Our people are overworked. 2. Our best people are the most maxed out. 3. Therefore, accomplishing a bigger task requires the addition of more resources. This is the logic of addition.
In analyzing data on more than 150 leaders, we found a number of areas in which Multipliers and Diminishers do the same things. Both groups are customer driven. Both show strong business acumen and market insight. Both surround themselves with smart people and consider themselves thought leaders.
The Diminisher is an Empire Builder who acquires resources and then wastes them. The Multiplier is a Talent Magnet who utilizes and increases everyone’s genius.
The Diminisher is a Tyrant who creates a stressful environment. The Multiplier is a Liberator who creates a safe environment that fosters bold thinking.
The Diminisher is a Know-It-All who gives directives. The Multiplier is a Challenger who defines opportunities.
Diminishers are Decision Makers who try to sell their decisions to others. Multipliers are Debate Makers who generate real buy-in.
The Diminisher is a Micromanager who jumps in and out. The Multiplier is an Investor who gives others ownership and full accountability.
A native genius or talent is something that people do, not only exceptionally well, but absolutely naturally. They do it easily (without extra effort) and freely (without condition).
PUTTING PEOPLE IN BOXES. Divide and conquer is the modus operandi of Empire Builders. They bring in great talent and carve out a fiefdom for them, but they don’t encourage people to step beyond these walls.
You can often spot an Empire Builder because he or she either operates exclusively through one-on-one meetings or runs staff meetings as an official report-out from each fiefdom.
The only freedom that is of enduring importance is the freedom of intelligence, that is to say, freedom of observation and of judgment. JOHN DEWEY
Policies—established to create order—often unintentionally keep people from thinking. At best, these policies limit intellectual range of motion as they straitjacket the thinking of the followers. At worst, these systems shut down thinking entirely.
Diminishers create a stress-filled environment because they don’t give people control over their own performance. They operate as Tyrants, overexerting their will on the organization and causing others to shrink, retreat, and hold back.
The Liberator creates an environment where good things happen. They create the conditions where intelligence is engaged, grown, and transformed into concrete successes.
holds a very high bar for what you must do before you voice an opinion. You need to have the data. He has a problem with opinions without data.”
A Master Teacher Stop and think about the best teachers you’ve had. Pause for a moment and identify one or two. What type of learning environment did they create? How much space and freedom of thought did you have? What were the expectations of your performance? In what ways were you stretched and utilized? And how did you actually perform?
Among the Multipliers we studied in our research, we found three common practices. Liberators: 1) create space; 2) demand people’s best work; and 3) generate rapid learning cycles. We’ll examine each in turn.
people retreat to a safe position where their ideas won’t be criticized or exposed. The Japanese have a saying for this: Deru kui wa utareru, which translates as, “The stake that sticks out gets hammered down.”
The number one difference between a Nobel Prize winner and others is not IQ or work ethic, but that they ask bigger questions. PETER DRUCKER
They gave their presentations and held discussions, but as the week went on, the group became more and more confused. One VP spoke for the group when he said, “We aren’t clear on the strategy. We just saw a lot of PowerPoint slides.”
Peter Block, consulting guru and author, observed, “the most powerful work is done in response to an opportunity not in response to a problem.”
Diminishers consider themselves thought leaders and readily share their knowledge; however, they rarely share it in a way that invites contribution. They tend to sell their ideas rather than learning what others know.
there are four parts to a well-crafted frame:
THE QUESTION: What is the decision to be made? What are we choosing between? THE WHY: Why is this an important question to answer? Why does the decision warrant collective input and debate? What happens if it is not addressed? THE WHO: Who will be involved in making the decision? Who will give input? THE HOW: How will the final decision be made? Will it be made by majority rule? Consensus? Or will you (or someone else) make the final decision after others provide input and recommendations?
four elements of a great debate. A great debate is: ENGAGING: The question is compelling and important to everyone in attendance. COMPREHENSIVE: The right information is shared to generate a holistic and collective understanding of the issues at hand. FACT BASED: The debate is deeply rooted in fact, not opinion. EDUCATIONAL: People leave the debate more focused on what they learned than on who won or lost.
Lacking clarity, people turn to debating the soundness of a decision—“spinning” it rather than executing it. This spin phenomenon is one of the reasons Diminishers create resource drain rather than resource leverage. Decision Makers don’t use the full complement of talent, intelligence, and information available to them.
the cost of an opinion was evidence.
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
the five most prevalent reactions to Diminishers are: 1) confront them, 2) avoid them, 3) quit, 4) comply and lie low, and 5) ignore the diminishing behavior.
1) confront them, 2) avoid them, 3) comply and lie low, 4) convince them you are right, and 5) take HR action.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr
Breaking the Cycle of Diminishing 1. It’s not necessarily about you 2. Diminishing isn’t inevitable 3. You can lead your leader
Basic survival strategies intended to improve your reactions to Diminishers, relieve stress, neutralize immediate problems, and halt the downward spiral. 1. Turn down the volume 2. Strengthen other connections 3. Retreat and regroup 4. Send the right signals 5. Assert your capability 6. Ask for performance intel 7. Shop for a new boss
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. LAO TZU
Strong cultures typically exhibit the following traits: Common language: Words and phrases that hold a common meaning within a community based on opinions, principles, and values6 Learned behaviors: A set of learned responses to stimuli7 Shared beliefs: The acceptance of something as true8 Heroes and legends: People who are admired or idealized for their qualities, behavior, and/or achievements and the stories told about their heroic actions9 Rituals and norms: Consistent behavior regularly followed by an individual or a group10
It is plausible that Diminisher assumptions are underlying failing schools. What would transpire at one school if one principal learned to lead like a Multiplier and found a way to give teachers, parents, and students greater ownership for the success of the school?
