The 5 Types of Multipliers, Part 2

Last week, I introduced Liz Wiseman’s concept of the multiplier, which she explores in depth in her excellent book Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. Wiseman identifies 5 major types of multipliers: talent magnets, liberators, challengers, debate makers and investors. This week, I’ll explain the last 3 types—challengers, debate makers and investors.

Challengers are just that—people who challenge others. According to Wiseman, they engage in 3 practices: seeding opportunity, laying down challenges, and generating belief. Challengers get out of the way of others and allow them to seize opportunities on their own. They also challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and help create starting points for solving problems. Once an opportunity is identified, a challenger helps to clarify the nature of the challenge and rally the organization to solve it. They cheer others on, encouraging them to push themselves harder and achieve more. In short, they make others believe they are capable of meeting extraordinary challenges.

Debate makers have a knack for bringing everyone in an organization together to give valuable input on tough issues. They do this by defining the question, forming effective teams, assembling data, framing the decision, and sparking the debate. Debate makers, despite the confrontational sounding name, are great at bringing people together to solve problems and complete tasks. They encourage everyone to speak their mind in a productive manner. They utilize their people to collect and analyze the data needed to make good decisions and find the best solutions.

Lastly, investors are those leaders that are great at providing the resources others need to achieve organizational goals. Rather than micromanaging, they step back and let others take the wheel, trusting them to get the job done. They are master delegators. They hold others accountable for their commitments and promises, but they never expect employees to do their jobs without the correct tools. They are generous with their time, always going the extra mile to inspire others.

In my next post in this series, I’ll discuss how you can take conscious steps toward becoming a multiplier. By becoming more aware of your own leadership style, you’ll be able to incorporate aspects of these 5 types into your actions and reactions.

Are you currently working with a multiplier? Do you feel that there are too many diminishers in your organization? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me via my website, LinkedIn and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you!