1. Book Review: Multipliers – How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
Author: Liz Wiseman (2010).
Format and Publisher: Paperback – 268 pages. Published by HarperCollins Publishers
Review: © Wayne Mallinson (14 March 2016) at www.novationnow.co.za
Novation Now (Pty.) Ltd, a South African company, provides training and services in systematic innovation to companies,
government organisations, not for profit organisations (NPOs), and to groups of private individuals.
A Unique Point in Time
Liz Wiseman has come up with a book Greg McKeown that is spot on, for the issues of this decade.
Not that Multipliers and their opposites, known as Dimishers haven’t always existed. Both types will
be familiar to you, and they both will inhabit our futures. It the right time to recognise that bringing
out our inner Multiplier and suppressing our pesky Diminisher tendencies is a brilliant idea. Right
here and right now.
The Most Valuable Asset of the 21
st
Century Institution
No, it’s not you or me necessarily ;) Rather it is the knowledge workers and their productivity in the
21st century. Peter Drucker mentions the contribution of management in the 20
th
century: A fifty-
fold productivity increase of the manual worker in manufacturing. Liz Wiseman calculates that
Multiplier managers can double the productivity of knowledge workers over that gained by
Diminisher managers. I doubt that this figure has the correct basis of calculation. Double is too low.
Lean manufacturing examples show fourteen-fold speed improvements, five-fold gross profit improvements, one-hundred-and
eighty-fold waiting time reductions for customers, and other radical figures from knowledgeable manual workers. If knowledge
workers create ‘clever’ systems, then – and it is happening today – much manual and thinking work will be automated by
computers and robots. History will record N-fold productivity where N will likely outstrip fifty by far.
Bill gates catches the ‘times we are in’ in a twitter post that came today, “Never before in history has innovation offered promise
of so much to so many in so short a time.” Liz is systematically offering innovative ways to work with people based on research.
What is a Multiplier?
Multipliers are leaders who create an atmosphere of innovation, productive effort, and collective intelligence. Multipliers use
their own energy and thinking to focus on extracting and extending the genius of others around them. They get the very best
thinking, creativity, ideas, discretionary effort, energy, and resourcefulness from their people. Double for Liz, N-fold in my view.
What is a Dimisher?
A Dimisher is not a bad person, it is just someone that believes others are not as smart as them, and will not figure things out
without them, and never will. I was all for Multipliers when I read the book, but as I looked at the detailed practices of both
Multipliers and Dimishers gained from the research, I became less sure. It seemed that on occasions (many occasions) I could
have ticked the boxes as she politely says, “as an ‘accidental Dimisher’.”
Why the Book is a Good Read
Liz shares the five disciplines of multipliers: One. They attract and optimise talent; Two. They … (buy the book and read more).
For each of the five disciplines she provides the detailed steps such as the Talent Magnet looks for talent everywhere and
ignores boundaries. They label the genius of their colleagues and then ensure it is utilised by connecting them to opportunities
that will make them shine. For each Multiplier practice, there is an unequal but nasty correlating Diminisher practice the Talent
Magnet’s opposing Doppelganger is (‘Ta Da’) The Empire Builder: One who hoards resources while at the same time under-
utilises them.
The Outcome
One. Multipliers develop talent Dimishers use talent; Two. …; Three. …; Four. …; Five. Multipliers, as investors, support
workers Diminishers, as micro-managers, control workers. Point five was a bonus. Space and ethics preclude me from
summarising the book. It is worth reading if you can ensure that you will put its Multiplier practices into action.
Liz Wiseman’s Primary Challenge (Heavily Paraphrased by Me)
As you read the book, ponder it and attempt to amplify your inner-Multiplier and please shed your Diminisher tendencies. This
will make you a more pleasant conversationalist and person to work with. It will at least, double the productive outputs of those
who work for you.
Wayne Mallinson
My Challenge to you – If you liked or disliked the review, please comment. It will make me smarter 