Discussion 2: Becoming a Multiplier

Analyze how leaders build a Multiplier culture—an environment where the mindsets and the practices of Multipliers are shared and become the new normal.

 

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review this week’s Learning Resources, especially:

 

Wiseman, L. (2017). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins.

 

• Chapter 9, “Becoming a Multiplier”

 

Assignment:

 

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings that contain a perspective other than yours.

• Share an insight about what you learned from having read your colleagues’ postings and discuss how and why your colleague’s posting resonated with you professionally and personally. (Note: This may be a great opportunity to help you think about passions you share with your colleagues who could become part of your Walden network.)
• Offer an example from your experience or observation that validates what your colleague discussed.
• Offer specific suggestions that will help your colleague build upon his or her perceptions as a leader.
• Offer further assessment from having read your colleague’s post that could impact a leader’s effectiveness.
• Share how something your colleague discussed changed the way you consider your own leadership qualities.

• 2-3 paragraphs in length
• No Plagiarism
• Cite References

 

 

 

 

1^st Colleague – Natasha Mills 

Becoming a Multiplier

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So far, we have analyzed and learned key disciplines that make leaders multipliers. These disciplines, including being Talent Magnets, Liberators, Challengers, Debate Makers, and Investors, are not far from the daily practices of most leaders. As Wiseman (2017) posits, most leaders have good intentions in their dealings with followers. However, it is the actions they take that are usually counterproductive in achieving the real objectives of their good intentions. As a result, they become Accidental Diminishers. Wiseman (2017) also claims that leaders can learn and develop the practices of multipliers, particularly when they shift towards the implementation of the right approach. This is where the adoption of the practices to build a multiplier culture is implemented.

 

The practices of building a multiplier culture are categorized under five layers, namely common language, shared beliefs, learned behavior, rituals and norms, and learned behavior (Wiseman, 2017). More specifically, the practices are teaching multiplier skills, introducing multiplier mindsets, discussing accidental diminishers, holding a book talk, integrating practices with business metrics, codifying leadership ethos, measuring managers, spotlighting multiplier moments, piloting a multiplier practice, and fusing multipliers with daily decisions (Wiseman, 2017).

 

The above practices will ultimately transform an organization’s culture into a multiplier culture by introducing the necessary actions both leaders and followers should take to cultivate such an environment. For instance, the practices of holding a book talk and discussing accidental diminishers falls under the layer of common language, which is at the top. Through common language, the team will be able to name both desirable and undesirable behaviors impeding the realization of a multiplier environment. According to Wiseman (2017), leadership models are always keen on identifying desirable behaviors while leaving out undesirable ones.

 

However, a common language should address this facet by creating a safe space where team members can easily talk about leadership (Wiseman, 2017). The identification of both behaviors will be fundamental to the subsequent identification of what is working, against that which is failing. The team, together with their leaders, can then forge a more desirable path forward that corresponds with that of multipliers. The repeat of this practice has a high probability of transforming into a culture for the organization, resulting in a multiplier culture.

Simply put, implementing the practices of the first layer makes the second layer, which is learned behavior, occur naturally. This aspect, together with the leaders’ participation in appropriate behavior, makes the desirable behaviors become unconscious or naturalized, leading to an automatic multiplier culture (Wiseman, 2017). In other words, the practices of a multiplier culture will result in a shift from leaders’ unawareness of their diminishing behavior and associated effects on the followers, to the identification of those diminishing behaviors through practices such as common language. The transition will then shift to the identification and understanding of multiplier behavior opportunities, leading to the natural response of leaders and their team using multiplier behavior.

 

The practices of a multiplier culture would be significantly beneficial to my organization. The primary benefit will be the elimination of old, unproductive habits and replacing them with multiplier practices that not only improve my effectiveness as a leader, but also encourage the growth of my followers and result in the realization of organizational goals. Wiseman (2017) states that becoming a multiplier matters for the organization. I am certain that this leadership dynamic will matter to my organization, which will have a ripple effect and impact the wider society because the members of my workforce will carry the practices with them when they get other opportunities outside the organization. Wiseman (2017) also states that multipliers matter to the world at large. It begins from the organization before extending to the world.  

 

Reference

Wiseman, L. (2017). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter (Rev. ed.). HarperCollins.

 

 

 

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2^nd  Colleague – Mary Thompson 

Becoming a Multiplier

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A multiplier culture in an organization facilitates the appreciation of other employees’ inputs, promotes talent development and welcomes new ideas. The multiplier leader has the objective of realizing the hidden potential behind every employee and establishing methods of ensuring that every organization’s employee operates in a manner that leads to self-growth and development (Wiseman, 2017). There are different ways in which leaders can build a multiplier culture in the organization.

First, it is important for the leaders to identify and eliminate diminishing factors in the organization’s policy, procedures and practice. Diminishing factors are those aspects that hinder the progressive growth and development of the subordinates (Perry, 2018). One of the ways of identifying the diminishing factors is through the implementation of a culture that fosters self-awareness. The leader should be able to evaluate their potential in order to prevent challenges associated with the accidental diminisher. Leaders need to integrate the culture of self-awareness among all the employees in a similar manner towards realizing full realization of the employees’ potential.

Another important step towards developing a multiplier culture in the organization is the use of multiplier-related vocabulary and terms in the organization. Diminishers are fond of using terms that tend to dominate over other employees. In order to establish a culture that recognizes the input and unique capabilities of every employee, multipliers should choose to use words that do not ‘kill’ the subordinates’ potential (Guest, 2017). For instance, using appreciating terms and complementing words motivates the employees to aspire above the set goals and objectives.

The multiplication of talent in the organization also requires the leader to act as an example. By promoting talent at their own levels, the other members in the organization will be in a position to follow suit. In order to successfully amplify such a culture within the institution, the leader should lead through the use of the right terminology and behavior towards other members of the institution (Wiseman, 2017). Such an initiative goes a long way in instilling the culture of talent appreciation and promotion within the organization.

Leaders also have the responsibility of creating an effective environment for the multiplier effect to be felt. It is the absolute duty of every leader to assess the performance potential of every employee and recommend the best methods of improving the same. The recognition of the team’s strengths and weaknesses is also important towards determining the best approaches to improving on the weaknesses (Wiseman, 2015).

 

Construct a description that answers the question: What are the 10 Practices to Build a Multiplier Culture?

Building a multiplier culture requires the practice of certain behaviors and habits. The ten main practices for leaders to build a multiplier culture are talent management, fostering a reproductive environment, setting direction, making sound decisions, executing, asking questions, establishing self-awareness, appreciating good performance, communicating and role-modeling.

With regards to talent management, multipliers should be on the look-out for the hidden potential behind every member of the organization. They apply unique methods and styles of leadership towards improving on the performance potential of the employees through generating feedback on their performance (Wiseman & Mckeown, 2010). Building a multiplier culture also requires the leader to establish a reproductive environment where employees’ potential and capabilities are cultivated for both the individual and organizational development.

The establishment of a multiplier culture in the organization also requires the leader to set the direction for employees. However, caution should be taken to avoid being prone to the tendencies of an accidental diminisher. With regards to setting direction, the establishment of a multiplier culture requires the leader to be a guiding light and not the dominating factor in all the tasks that are performed in the organization (Kegan et al., 2016). Decision-making also forms a vital component of the multiplier culture. To achieve a multiplier effect, leaders should be involved in decision-making practices in the organization with a view to enhancing talent quality in the institution.

Setting up a multiplier culture also requires the execution of multiplier practices and beliefs. The leader should be instrumental in executing actions such as the use of complementing terms to appreciate the efforts of employees. By executing multiplier practices, the organization progressively builds a tradition that supports the participation of all the members of the organization (ALTO, 2018). Asking questions and seeking clarifications is also another step towards setting up a multiplier culture. By using interrogations, leaders are able to obtain views and opinions of other members of the institution, eliminating the tendencies of accidental diminishers.

It is also important for the organization to promote self-awareness at different levels of leadership (Wiseman, 2017). This culture ensures that all the employees are able to gauge their performance in light of the opinions and feedback from their peers. Similarly, leaders act by taking into account the feedback of their subordinates. The appreciation of positive performance acts as a way of motivating employees to perform better. Therefore, to multiply talent, leaders need to recognize and appreciate employees’ attempts in the organization.

Effective communication is also among the best practices for establishing a multiplier culture. Without proper communication, employees would not know their areas of strengths as well as weaknesses (Rao, 2018). They might also not recognize the areas of improvement. Leaders should foster a culture of effective interpersonal communication in the institution as a way of identifying and appreciating talent. Finally, the establishment of a multiplier culture requires leaders to act as role models. It is the duty of organizational leaders to lead from the forefront in order to make their followers emulate positive behavior.

 

Address the question: How does leading like a Multiplier matter to you, to your organization, or even to the world at large?

An individual, leading like a multiplier enhances the ability of other members of the organization to improve on their current performances. The multiplier’s interest is to ignite the unique potential that is in every employee towards improving their abilities (Wiseman, 2017). By acknowledging the capabilities of other members of the institution, the multiplier is able to nurture the potential of individuals in the institution and work towards utilizing the same for the benefit of the organization.

At the organizational level, the multiplier leadership is vital because it promotes the achievement of goals and objectives. Multipliers have an ingrown tendency to steer the achievement of goals through influencing the efforts of others. The multiplier leadership reduces employee turnover in the organization through the promotion of job satisfaction among members of the institution. Through motivation and increased job satisfaction, the employees are able to benefit from stable job performance.

At a global level, the multiplier leadership is able to identify and recognize the hidden human resource potential from various regions. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) for instance, can utilize the talent generated from diverse regions towards improving the extent to which the international organizations achieve their goals and objectives.  Given the nature of globalization in the current world of business, multipliers need to recognize the impact of diversity in attaining sustainable human resources development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

ALTO. (2018). The multiplier effect: How the best leaders make everyone smarter. https://altonet.org/the-multiplier-effect-how-the-best-leaders-make-everyone-smarter/

Guest, R. (2017). Great by design: How to deliver accelerated, sustained and profitable business growth. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kegan, R., Lahey, L. L., Miller, M. L., Fleming, A., & Helsing, D. (2016). An everyone culture: Becoming a deliberately developmental organization. Harvard Business Review Press.

NextBridge Consulting. (2016). The leadership multiplier effect. https://nextbridgeconsulting.com/the=leadership-multiplier-effect-2/

Perry, J. (2018). Creating a multipliers culture. BTS. https://www.bts.com/docs/default-source/white-papers/creating-a-multipliers-culture-white-paper.pdf

Rao, M. (2018). Multiplier instead of diminisher: How leaders can scale employee intelligence and capabilities. https://yourstory.com/2018/06/diminisher-multiplier-leaders-can-scale-intelligence-capabilities-organizations

Wiseman, L. & Mckeown, G. (2010). Managing yourself bringing out the best in your people. https://hbr.org/2010/05/managing-yourself-bringing-out-the-best-in-your-people

Wiseman, L. (2010). Are you a multiplier or a diminisher? https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/hr-talent-management/articles/are-you-a-multiplier-or-a-diminisher

Wiseman, L. (2015). Important leadership lessons: Leaders as multipliers. https://johnmattone.com/liz-wiseman-on-important-leadership-lessons-for-john-mattone/

Wiseman, L. (2017). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter (Rev. ed.). HarperCollins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Colleague – MT to TW  

Becoming a Multiplier

 

Wiseman’s (2017) strategies and practices for creating a multiplier culture may hopefully provide you with a baseline to move forward in how you interact with others, not only in your organization, but in your personal life as well.

 

I truly believe our growth, personally and professionally, requires awareness via self-reflection for leaders and constituents. Trust is paramount to make the many changes we desire as leaders and makes me wonder if I am truly as trusting in people as I must be to become a true Multiplier.

 

Integrating Multiplier practices with business metrics may be a way for organizations to objectively evaluate their effectiveness in key areas. As external and internal forces promote change, metrics allow organizations to assess and reassess if current tactics are still on target or require adjustment. This cycle of evaluation and responding becomes the new norm for the organization.

 

I think if we all look back at the beginning of the course when we took the Accidental Diminisher quiz, we didn’t believe that we were acting in any diminishing capacity; in fact, we may not have even been aware of the term accidental diminisher.

 

I believe we have something to learn about ourselves, don’t we Tylecia? After all, when being a successful leader we might consider practicing multiplier behaviors as part of our lifelong learning process, when and if appropriate.

 

Your comment is a most important one:

 

Leading like a multiplier matters to me, my organization, and the world at large. Leading like a multiplier helps me to bring out the best in me. It is clear that when you help other people grow, you also grow. It, therefore, matters to me because it helps me identify weak areas in my leadership practices and allows me to improve on them. This leadership matters to my organization because it encourages other people to grow. Therefore, as a multiplier, I help other people in the organization to grow and realize their full potential. When individual and team performance is improved, the entire organizational performance improves. (Cope, 2018 as cited in Westbrook, 2022)

 

Leading like multiplier should matter to all of us, our organizations and the world at large, because it is how we build up other people and enable others to grow and be successful. Success does not have to be limited to a single individual, any organization is only as good as their weakest employee, and it is important to build up everyone so that organization can reach its maximum potential. Giving these skills to others to pass on has the potential to create social change on a large scale and allows individuals to reach their full potential and know success at what they are doing, wouldn’t you agree Tylecia?

 

 

References

 

Cope, A. (2018). Leadership: the multiplier effect. John Murray.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leadership-Multiplier-Effect-Andy-Cope/dp/1473695694

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