If you’re a manager, you may not be so fortunate as to supervise a cadre of what Liz Wiseman refers to as Impact Players (see dot 3723), but there are things managers can do to enhance the capabilities of those they lead. Wiseman’s earlier book, Multipliers, outlines strategies that managers can take to become Multipliers instead of Diminishers, creating ways to invest in their people to multiply their contributions to the organization.
Wiseman describes five disciplines that characterize Multipliers:
- The Talent Magnet: developing a reputation to develop their people, thus inspiring a flow of top talent who want to work at a place where they know they can grow
- The Liberator: creating an environment where the demands are high, but space is provided for people to contribute their boldest thinking and learn from mistakes
- The Challenger: helps create opportunities for people to grow beyond their current capabilities and generates energy through solving tough problems
- The Debate Maker: cultivates a deep understanding of the issues by involving others in debate to frame the decision and create action plans
- The Investor: giving people the ownership and resources to produce the results — providing coaching instead of micromanaging
I know from personal experience that having a Multiplier as a boss just makes work so much more rewarding. I was lucky enough to work for a Multiplier and it was the highlight of my career, even while we faced tough challenges.
Especially in this tight labor market, it is worth your investment as a manager to invest in people and leverage the capabilities they can bring to an organization. Utilize the concrete strategies and numerous examples in Wiseman’s book to shift your focus toward becoming a Multiplier and creating a multiplier culture. Your people and your organization will thank you.
Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter; Revised and Updated by Liz Wiseman, 2017
