{"id":16208,"date":"2017-10-09T06:16:15","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T10:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=16208"},"modified":"2017-10-09T08:34:56","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T12:34:56","slug":"monday-morning-moment-how-an-accidental-diminisher-becomes-a-multiplier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=16208","title":{"rendered":"Monday Morning Moment – How an Accidental Diminisher Becomes a Multiplier"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Multipliers Books<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt wisdom, understanding, and experience were being drained right out of you? As if you were getting stupider and stupider? That can happen…or at least the sense of it happening is so strong it might as well be real. Some of this we must own ourselves, and some of it is owned by our leaders.<\/p>\n

I’ve had this experience…in fact, just yesterday. Worst is when I see it happening in the lives of people I love…Actually whether they are known to me or not, watching people being devalued or treated as inferior to others just plain makes me mad. I want to know when and how to intervene when that happens and in an appropriate manner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Liz Wiseman<\/a>\u00a0has written on this brilliantly in her leadership book \u2013 Multipliers \u2013 How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter<\/a> <\/u><\/em>. Wiseman is the president of The Wiseman Group<\/a>, a leadership research and development firm, headquartered in Silicon Valley, California.<\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo Credit: LiveIntentionally.org<\/a><\/p>\n

I first heard her speak at the Global Leadership Summit<\/a> this year. This engaging young woman clearly has had multipliers in her own life and has obviously learned from some diminishers as well.<\/p>\n

On the inside cover of Wiseman\u2019s book Multipliers<\/a>, she defines two terms: \u201cDiminishers\u201d and \u201cMultipliers\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first type drain intelligence, energy, and capability from the ones around them and always need to be the smartest ones in the room. These are idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment. On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them\u2026These are the leaders who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations.\u201d \u2013 <\/em>Liz Wiseman<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Slideshare<\/a><\/p>\n

[Sidebar \u2013 Diminishers are not necessarily evil people. Their focus could be so tuned to the endgame that people and processes get lost in the pursuit. It’s possible some are accidental diminishers<\/em><\/strong>. Hopefully they will have an \u201caha!\u201d moment, maybe\u00a0through the multipliers in their own lives. They, too, could change\u00a0their\u00a0habits and disciplines.]\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Multipliers Books<\/a><\/p>\n

A diminisher (accidental or not) holds tightly to control, is exclusive (tribal) in her relationships, gives rationale that seems well-thought-out but demeans the hearer, wants the stage, breaks down trust, and lacks care or respect for those in her charge. I shudder at the possibility that I could become such a person…but it is possible for any of us to stray into the relational style of a diminisher.<\/p>\n

A hard-wired diminisher may not be able to change<\/strong> – wouldn’t see her thinking or methods as a problem, in fact, sees them as part of how she ended up in charge. However, an accidental diminisher could recover…if he saw what was happening…through over-work, too much responsibility, or having personally experienced the ill of diminishing and taking on its qualities without being aware.<\/p>\n

I want to always be a multiplier \u2013 one who genuinely cares for people, who inspires confidence in others, who sees the possibilities, who risks by giving over control to another,\u00a0who stirs thinking and enlarges the lives of those in his\/her circle of influence\u2026a circle that\u2019s widely inclusive.<\/p>\n

Being a leader is a humbling, stretching experience and, for the sake of those under your watch in your workplace or organization, we want to offer the best leadership we can, right? However, we can all fall prey to habits over time that diminish others. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Forging disciplines that keep us from diminishing is wisdom. <\/strong>Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown<\/a> offer three points from which to start:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Shift from giving answers to asking questions.<\/strong> The best leaders don\u2019t provide all the answers, they ask the right questions.<\/li>\n
  2. Dispense your ideas in small doses.<\/strong> If you are an idea guy who is prone to tossing out more ideas than anyone can catch, you have \u201cthe gift of gab.\u201d Try articulating your ideas in increments. Introduce fewer ideas and leave white space. First, it creates room for others to contribute, and second, your words will be heard more frequently and will be more influential.<\/li>\n
  3. Expect complete work.<\/strong> People learn best when they are fully accountable and face the consequences of their work. Ask people to go beyond pointing out problems. Ask them to find a solution. By wrestling with it themselves, they\u2019ll grow their capability and be able to operate more independently.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Wiseman also talks about effective leaders (or multipliers) as operating in the role of change agents<\/em> \u2013 do we reserve the right to make the final decision every time or do we wrestle through decisions with those most affected by them?<\/strong> The latter can definitely be more messy but is also more effective and honoring.<\/p>\n

    \u201cMultipliers invoke each person\u2019s unique intelligence and create an atmosphere of genius\u2014innovation, productive effort, and collective intelligence\u2026He\u2019ll outstretch all your capabilities to make it happen. He is highly demanding, but you feel great. You know you are signing up for something that will challenge you on a daily basis for many years to come. You will challenge yourself and all your capabilities\u2026Exhilarating, exhausting, challenging, gratifying. He\u2019s a big source of energy. He is a source of power and a tail-wind for what we do.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u2013 Liz Wiseman<\/a><\/p>\n

    Thank you, Liz Wiseman. You are a wise woman (I\u2019m sure you get this all the time\u2026couldn\u2019t resist). Thank you, to all those multipliers in my life\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n

    Read Wiseman\u2019s book. I\u2019d love to hear your stories of multipliers in your life\u2026and any diminishers that you learned from but (hopefully) were not diminished in the season you were together\u2026maybe you became a multiplier in that person\u2019s life. Journey strong, Friends.*<\/p>\n

    Multipliers \u2013 How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter <\/em>by Liz Wiseman with Greg McKeown<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

    *Excerpts from my previous blog: Liz Wiseman’s Leadership Book on Multipliers and the Story of a Multiplier in Our Lives<\/em> – Deb Mills Writer<\/a><\/p>\n

    Are You an Accidental Diminisher?<\/em> – Liz Wiseman & Greg McKeown<\/a><\/p>\n

    Leadership Mindset – Are You a Multiplier or a Diminisher?<\/em> – Tony Flatau<\/a><\/p>\n

    Can a Diminisher Become a Multiplier?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

    The Shadow Side of Leadership<\/em> – Jesse Lyn Stoner<\/a> – [Read comments]<\/p>\n

    Slideshare – The Multipliers – Why Some Leaders Create Genius<\/em> Everywhere<\/em> – Greg McKeown<\/a><\/p>\n

    YouTube Video \u2013 Leaders as Multipliers with Liz Wiseman<\/a><\/p>\n

    YouTube Video \u2013 Liz Wiseman \u2013 The Multiplier Effect 0<\/a><\/p>\n

    Multipliers Quotes from GoodReads<\/a><\/p>\n

    2013 Global Leadership Summit Session 3a: Liz Wiseman<\/a><\/p>\n

    Brian Dodd \u2013 4 Leadership Lessons From Mt. Rainier and the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Business List<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 another example of a Multiplier<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Photo Credit: Multipliers Books Have you ever been in a situation where you felt wisdom, understanding, and experience were being drained right out of you? As if you were getting stupider and stupider? That can happen…or at least the sense of it happening is so strong it might as well be real. Some of this … Continue reading Monday Morning Moment – How an Accidental Diminisher Becomes a Multiplier<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[34,1704,1618,1148,1454,1733,33,1732,1103,761,789,2166,1002,1735,1453,185],"tags":[5262,2484,2263,1620,1707,2483,2489,2485,4916,298,2491,2492,1763,4546,2301,2482,5264,2487,5265,2490,5263,2486,314],"class_list":["post-16208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-communication","category-courage","category-critical-thinking","category-fresh-start","category-global-leadership-summit","category-inspired","category-leadership","category-lifelong-learning","category-redeeming-restoring","category-relationships","category-team","category-transformational","category-willow-creek-association","category-work","category-workplace-or-marketplace","tag-accidental-diminishers","tag-bosses","tag-brian-dodd","tag-control","tag-decision-making","tag-diminishers","tag-greg-mckeown","tag-intelligence","tag-jesse-lyn-stoner","tag-leadership","tag-leadership-development","tag-life-long-learning","tag-liz-wiseman","tag-lolly-daskal","tag-mentors","tag-multipliers","tag-shadow-side-of-leadership","tag-stretching","tag-the-leadership-gap","tag-the-wiseman-group","tag-tony-flatau","tag-work-smart","tag-workplace"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-4dq","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16208"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16238,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16208\/revisions\/16238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}