

Are You a Multiplier or a Diminisher?


In the new book, “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter”, author Liz Wizeman shares research that indicates that people feel that some leaders (Multipliers) can get people of use more of their capabilities, while other leaders (Diminishers) hold their people back.  In her studies, people reported that Multipliers were able to get them to use twice as much of their capabilities as Diminishers.

Multipliers attract talented people to their teams, create an intense environment that requires their best work, provide opportunities for people to stretch, makes decisions after rigorous debate, and gives people ownership for the results.

Diminishers hoard resources and under utilize talent, create a tense environment that suppresses thinking and creativity, issue directives that show off their knowledge, make abrupt decisions that confuse the organization, and drive results though micromanagement.

Do you work for a Multiplier or a Diminisher?  Are you a leader?  Find out if you are an Accidental Diminisher by taking a 10 question quiz here.  Tell me your results in the comments.

Mike LaChapelle

8 Responses

  1. rejaye says:

    I just took the quiz and got a 19 for a score. So I am very close to being an accidental diminisher. I am currently a stay home parent, so I tried as best I could to put the questions to what I am doing now. This tells me that I need to perhaps trust my kids and spouse to help more with chores, ,and not be afraid to get messy with my kids to allow them to be more creative, and to actually play with them more.

  2. Thanks for sharing, Rachel. I think that for many of us, our results would be different if we took the quiz with our home vs. our work life in mind.

  3. I scored a 20. But I couldn’t relate to the language of the questions. I’ve never been in some of those positions before. This book definitely seems very focused in demographic/audience.

  4. pw says:

    the score had me an accidental diminisher. however it seems the multiplier could just as easily be a multiplier of failure according to how some of these questions read

  5. Just because a leader isn’t an accidental diminisher doesn’t mean they will be successful. I just means that they aren’t smothering their people and preventing them from contributing to the business and reaching their full potential. If they don’t provide leadership when it is needed, the organization will fail. Which questions did you take issue with?

  6. DevisFan says:

    Each question had 2-3 lines in one direction, along with an essentially cancelling statement. I don’t see how anyone could answer on the extremes for these questions. In other words: The test is designed to show that you need their products. I’ll stick to Myers-Briggs.

  7. RF says:

    Based on the test, I won’t bother with the book.

  8. Brian says:

    I’ve worked for both and just didn’t know the terms– multipliers
    are the best–I’ve had 2 in 40 yrs–the others did their job but weren’t what you’d call inspiring.
    Without even taking the test I know,with certain exceptions,I’m a diminisher. Hey–we are what we are.