The Multiplier Effect: How To Unlock Your Team's Full Potential
You’re Either Lifting People Up or Holding Them Back
In this issue:
What is the Multiplier Effect?
How the Multiplier Effect Works
The 4 Steps to Becoming a Multiplier
Real-life Leadership Scenarios
The Multipliers Worksheet
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Complementary Frameworks
Recommended Resources
Final Takeaway
✨
It started with a thud.
Not a literal one — more like the invisible thud of a team hitting a wall.
We were in the middle of a high-stakes project at Adobe. I had just moved into a bigger leadership role, and the expectations were sky-high.
The team was talented. The problem was not skills. It wasn’t resources either.
It was ‘me’.
More specifically, it was how I was leading. I was in every discussion. I gave solutions too quickly. I felt responsible for everything.
I thought I was being helpful. But I was actually doing something I didn’t realize at the time:
I was diminishing the team.
What is the Multiplier Effect?
Liz Wiseman popularized this concept in her bestseller Multipliers. Here’s the wild stat from Wiseman’s research:
Multipliers get access to 95%+ of their team’s intelligence. Diminishers get less than 50%.
The idea is simple but powerful.
Some leaders seem to make everyone around them smarter. These are the Multipliers. They amplify intelligence, creativity, and ownership. Their teams are energized, take initiative, and grow fast. This is the Multiplier Effect.
Other leaders — often without realizing it — drain the energy from their teams. These are the Diminishers. They micromanage, dominate discussions, and unintentionally shrink others’ contributions.
It’s not about IQ. It’s about how leaders show up.
Wiseman outlines five disciplines of each style:
Multipliers:
Talent Magnet – Attracts and grows talent
Liberator – Creates safety for others to think
Challenger – Stretches people with bold challenges
Debate Maker – Encourages rigorous, inclusive debate
Investor – Gives ownership and holds people accountable
Diminishers (or “Accidental Diminishers”):
Empire Builder – Hoards resources
Tyrant – Creates a tense atmosphere
Know-it-All – Always has the answer
Decision Maker – Makes decisions alone
Micromanager – Takes back control
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How the Multiplier Effect Works
This isn’t some feel-good idea about “being nice.” It’s about unlocking capacity.
Multipliers act as amplifiers. They:
Ask questions instead of giving answers
Give people room to figure things out
Trust others with ownership
Set bold goals — then get out of the way
They don’t just get better results. They build stronger teams. And they create more leaders in the process.
Diminishers, on the other hand, unintentionally train people to play small. Over time, teams become passive. People wait to be told what to do. Initiative drops.
You don’t need to overhaul your style overnight. But even one small shift, like asking “What do you think?” instead of jumping in, can make a big difference.
The 4 Steps to Becoming a Multiplier
Okay, now that we have some understanding of the framework, let’s turn our attention to making this framework work for you in your role as a leader. Doing this methodically will help you multiply your team’s output and overall business results.
Here are a few key steps to becoming a multiplier today:
Say less, ask more: Instead of solving, get curious. Ask: “What’s your thinking here?” or “What would you do if I weren’t here?” Practice active listening, and allow your team members to step up and take ownership.
Name the goal, not the steps: Set the goal clearly, but let them figure out how to get there. Resist the urge to “solve” for them.
Give ownership, not just tasks: Ownership means they own the decision-making, the outcome, and the process. Don’t hold on to the purse strings while expecting them to go shopping for you.
Be a liberator, not a rescuer: If someone is struggling, don’t jump in to fix it. Create safety to fail, learn, and grow. Provide support and coach them so they can learn from those mistakes.
These may sound small. But consistently applied, they will help you to become a Multiplier.
Real-life Leadership Scenarios
These aren't just concepts from a book; I’ve seen Multipliers and Diminishers play out in the real world. Let me share three leadership moments that bring this to life.
1. The Well-Intentioned Fixer
Rohit was one of the sharpest managers in my org. Always on top of things. Super responsive. If someone on the team was stuck, he’d swoop right in with a fix.
Fast, efficient, and decisive.
But here’s what I noticed over time: his team became quieter in meetings. People started looking at him before speaking up. Newer team members waited for him to validate ideas.
It wasn’t intentional. Rohit genuinely wanted to help. But his constant rescuing sent a silent message: “I don’t trust you to figure this out.”
He was unknowingly operating as a Diminisher. His knowledge and speed, though impressive, left no space for others to learn or lead.
We had a coaching conversation. He started experimenting with holding back. Asking more questions. Following the 4-step approach discussed above. And within a month, people started stepping up. Their confidence returned. His team was still delivering, but now without leaning on him for every step.
2. The Quiet Multiplier
Meera wasn’t the loudest leader in my org. In fact, she often came across as soft-spoken in big meetings. But within her team, something magical was happening.
She ran a new, fast-growing engineering team. Most of her direct reports were early-career engineers. Instead of dictating the roadmap, she would say things like:
“You’re closest to the user pain. What do you think we should build next?”
“If this were your startup, how would you solve this?”
At first, the team didn’t know what to do. They were unsure. But Meera held her space and didn’t jump in.
And her people grew fast. Within a year, one of her engineers had pitched and shipped a feature that went on to become a favorite for our customers.
Meera was operating as a Multiplier: a Challenger and an Investor. She pushed people out of their comfort zones but never let them feel unsafe.
3. My Own Wake-Up Call
This one’s personal.
Years ago, at Adobe, I was leading a cross-functional team on a high-pressure mobile release. I was in the middle of everything — whiteboard sessions, design reviews, bug triage, you name it.
One afternoon, we had a brainstorming session. As usual, I was at the whiteboard, marker in hand. Someone made a suggestion that I disagreed with. I responded with “That won’t work because…” and drew something else.
After the meeting, one of my team members — let’s call him Arjun — asked if we could talk. He was nervous, but honest.
“I feel like I can’t really contribute in those meetings. You always have the final word.”
That hit hard.
I realized I had become the classic Know-it-All Diminisher. Not because I didn’t trust the team. But because I was trying too hard to deliver results fast.
I changed two things:
I stopped picking up the marker at the whiteboard sessions (and this was hard, I admit!)
I started asking Arjun and others to lead the meetings.
It felt uncomfortable at first.
But slowly, I saw something shift. People spoke up more. They challenged each other’s ideas. And most importantly, they owned the outcome.
I still think about that moment. Arjun gave me a gift I didn’t know I needed.
The Multipliers Worksheet
Now that you have a fair understanding of what it means to be a Multiplier, are you ready to put this into practice?
Download the Multipliers Worksheet and use it to:
Self-rate your behaviors vis-a-vis a Multiplier Mindset
Reflect on your own Multiplier and Diminisher tendencies
Pick one shift you will make towards the Multiplier Mindset
The worksheet includes step-by-step prompts to guide you through the entire application process.
⬇️ Download Your Worksheet Here!
🎁 Paid Subscribers: Claim your FREE copy of this worksheet by using the exclusive coupon code mentioned on this page. Paid members enjoy FREE access to the entire collection of worksheets! (worth $125+). Not a paid member? You can upgrade here.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
As you work on moving into the Multipliers mindset, here are some common pitfalls to be aware of:
Thinking only bad leaders are Diminishers: Most Diminishers are well-meaning. That’s why Wiseman calls them Accidental Diminishers.
Equating challenge with pressure: Multipliers stretch people, but they don’t create fear. You must maintain an environment of safety where your team feels comfortable stretching themselves.
Complementary Frameworks
You can go deeper with these ideas using these frameworks (I cover many of these in The Leader’s Playbook too):
Psychological Safety – Teams only take risks when they feel safe. Focus on creating a culture where your team can thrive, not just deliver. I discuss this in great detail in The Four Zones of Psychological Safety: Where Does Your Team Sit?
Radical Candor – Challenge directly, care personally, as you push your team to go above and beyond.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Understand what holds teams back, and how they can build trust with you and others.
Recommended Resources
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman – The original, highly practical book that explains this framework in great detail. A must-read!
Diminisher vs. Multiplier - Talk by Liz Wiseman at Stanford Technology Venture Program.
Radical Candor – Kim Scott – Great for creating a culture of ownership
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – On trust, conflict, and team performance
Final Takeaway
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. You need to be the one who brings out the smarts in others.
That’s the heart of being a Multiplier.
If you’ve been accidentally diminishing, welcome to the club. We all do it sometimes.
But the good news is — it’s a habit. And habits can change.
Are you an accidental diminisher? Share your story in the comments! ✍🏻
👋🏻 Let’s stay in touch - connect with me on LinkedIn.
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I appreciate the thorough read, well said! thank you Gaurav.