Do you work in a school/interact with people online who are smart but shut down the smarts of others? These ‘Diminishers’ are idea killers and energy sappers. They are the ones that desperately need to prove they are the smartest person in the room. But for them to be big, others have to be small. These teachers/leaders/bloggers consume so much space that they leave little room for others to contribute. They create stress and pressure that can shut down good ideas…on the other side of the continuum are leaders/teachers/colleagues/bloggers who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. People get ‘smarter’ around them because they are given permission to think. These people are ‘Multipliers’. Learn how to be more like a Multiplier in your school with some practical ideas and a few tips to deal with Diminishers too! Image of Stuart Hall from the Guardian: https://static-secure.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/2/10/1392035264541/Stuart-Hall-009.jpg Headteacher quotes from Alistair Smith's 'High Performers' http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Performers-Secrets-Successful-Schools/dp/184590687X Images are from 'The Multiplier Effect' book by Liz Wiseman, Lois Allen and Elise Foster http://www.amazon.co.uk/Multiplier-Effect-Tapping-Leadership-Learning/dp/1452271895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402850965&sr=1-1&keywords=the+multiplier+effect

1. Multiplier
Nick Dennis
Deputy Head (Academic)
Berkhamsted School
How to lead like a
@nickdennis
#PedagooSW

3. …wrestling with the angels - a
metaphor you can take as literally as
you like.

4. Asking questions

6. Tight values, loose control:
get the values right, get good
people, find opportunities and
let it go.
Stephen Munby, Head, Comberton Village College

8. We keep really focused on
core purpose
Caroline Hoddinott, Head, Haybridge School

9. What’s not to like
about this?
Oversimplification?
Where’s the evidence?

10. Seems to me to be a
populist pseudoscientific
explanation rooted in
stereotypes. Want to feel it.
I really do. But aren’t [sic].

11. Two types of question
Poser already
has an answer.
11
Poser wants to
understand or
dig deeper.
Disciplinary Authentic

13. Diminishers?
The Problem

14. The Gatekeeper The Tyrant
The Know-It-All
The Decision Maker
The Micromanager

15. The Gatekeeper
Hoards resources and
underutilises talent
The Tyrant
Creates a tense environment
that suppresses people’s
thinking and capability
The Know-It-All
Gives directives that showcase
how much they know
The Decision Maker
Makes centralised, abrupt
decisions that confuse the
organisation
The Micro Manager
Drives results through their
personal involvement

16. Accidental
Diminishers
The Problem

17. Accidental Diminishers
17
The Idea Person
Always On
Rescuer
Pacesetter
Rapid Responder
Optimist

18. Always On
Consume all
the space
around them
and people
shrink around
these leaders.
18

19. Play Fewer Chips
19

20. Give 51% of the vote
20

21. Rescuer
Their people
become
dependent on
them which
weakens their
reputation.
21

22. Ask for a FIX
People already know an answer - ask them
for it.
22

23. Lead like a Multiplier

24. Multiplier
24
Attracts talented people & uses them at their
highest point of contribution
Creates an intense environment that requires
people’s best thinking and work
Defines an opportunity that causes people to
stretch
Drives sound decisions by constructing debate
and decision-making forums
Gives other people the ownership for results and
invests in their success

26. 26
How would you:
Diminisher !
They will never figure it
out without me
Multiplier!
People are smart and
will figure this out
Manage talent? Use Develop
Approach
Mistakes?
Blame Explore
Set direction? Tell Challenge
Make decisions? Decide Consult
Get things done? Control Support

27. Multiplier Experiment:
Talent Finder
• What do they do better than anything
else they do?
• What do they do better than the people
around them?
• What do they do easily (without effort
or awareness)?
• What do they do freely (without being
asked/paid)? 27

28. Appraisal
28

29. Appraisal
29

30. ‘Nobody discovers anything
by giving an answer. You
look for the questions. Why?
Because good questions
lead to big concepts and
ideas.’

31. Laying a challenge
31
Are you the genius or are you
the genius maker?

32. Ask questions

33. Constant and frequent
questioning is the first key to
wisdom…For through doubting
we are led to inquire and by
inquiry we perceive the truth
Pierre (Peter) Abelard, 12th Century

34. I not only use the
brains I have, but
all I can borrow.

35. Dr Nick Dennis
!
Email:
ndennis@berkhamstedschool.org
Twitter:
@nickdennis
LinkedIn:
uk.linkedin.com/in/nickdennis
Blog:
http://www.nickdennis.com/blog

36. Nominator
Multiplier
Nomination
Diminisher
Nomination
Qualitative
Leadership
Survey
Qualitative
Structured
Interview
Multiplier
Diminisher
Multiplier
Model
colleague colleague
colleague
colleague colleague
colleague
Nomination Gather Data
Select for analysis
Gather 360 data
Analyse Data &!
Build Model