16 Secrets for Multipliers
Multipliers amplify their own capacity to serve.
16 Secrets for Multipliers:
#1. Stop explaining why things are difficult. If it’s worth doing, it’s difficult. Just do it.
#2. Sip, don’t gulp. Intentionally slow down.
#3. Watch people interact. Honor positive people. Send a note explaining the value of their impact on the team.
#4. Begin the day with someone else in mind. Text encouragement. Send gratitude. Say, “I’m looking forward to working with you today.”
#5. Look ‘em in the eye. Eye contact multiplies the impact of your words. If you’re going to say thank you, why not make it impactful? Eye contact multiplies everything.
#6. Walk around like you’re there to make things better. It’s normal to see the bad. It’s leadership to see what’s working.
#7. Lift your head. I look down when I think. It’s surprising how holding up my head lifts my attitude.
#8. Follow the imperfect suggestions of others. Just say, “Go ahead and try it. Let me know how it works.” People own their own ideas.
#9. Say, “We can do better.” Challenge multiplies performance.
#10. Stand up when someone enters the room to talk with you. Good manners are cost effective.
#11. Never allow complaints to stand alone. What are you going to do about it?
#12. Breathe. Set a timer and breathe for three minutes.
#13. Take a short walk at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
#14. End meetings with clarity. Ask, “What are you doing next?” Vagueness kills performance. When there are no action items, it should have been an email.
#15. Invite pushback. Say, “What am I missing?” or “Where might this go wrong?” People engage when their voice matters.
#16. Ask questions that start with “how.” Curiosity invites engagement.
Choose one multiplier from this list to activate today.
Which action item can you practice today?
How to Maximize the Most Neglected Growth Opportunity in Leadership
Liz Wisman wrote, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. This post isn’t based on her work, but her book is worth reading.
I’ve been practicing #8 for years. There is so much value in having someone execute their own idea. The knowledge, experience, and insight they gain is incredible. Through this practice, I’ve increased my patience, and I’ve become a better coach/servant leader.
Wonderful application, Melissa. I appreciate your reference to patience. In leadership impatience, when it comes to results, is often considered a virtue. There is a difference between the drive for results and patience with people.
I am going to try number 3.
FYI–I have always liked this math metaphor that includes action to multiply a person’s effectiveness.
Leaders add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
Add — Leaders help people develop new skills, habits, and mindsets to expand their capabilities.
Subtract — Leaders guide people in letting go of behaviors, attitudes, and habits that hinder performance — like negative self-talk, worry, and unproductive routines.
Multiply — Leaders amplify people’s strengths by helping them apply their talents where they create the most value. This often includes mentoring and teaching others.
Divide — Leaders assist people in breaking down their workload, focusing on top priorities, and aligning their efforts with the organization’s strategic goals.
Thanks for adding so much value, Paul. I know you believe in simple action. I can imagine choosing one thing to add, subtract, multiply, or divide and focusing on it for one day. Keep one thing top of mind. Seize other opportunities as they arise.
I love your metaphor!
“Stop explaining why things are difficult. If it’s worth doing, it’s difficult. Just do it.”
So True. If I just get started, I can really build some energy and motivation, but sometimes I allow the dread to zap my energy.
There’s powering in starting! Sometimes motivation follows action.
Hi Dan –
Wow! This is bringing me down memory lane! I was 27 years old and working in Flight Operations management at Northwest Airlines (I am not a pilot). The early 90s was a rough time in the industry and NWA was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
On our employees met with our senior vice president, John Kern, and said he could save the company $100 million in 100 days thru an employee suggestion program. A lot of people would have brushed the idea off, but John embraced.
The program was called Northwest Now and our team consisted of about 5 managers and 30 union employees. The program was led by the pilot (his name was Dan Handlin – not sure of the spelling). My role was to take all employee suggestions that the group wanted to explore for cost savings or revenue generation and work with our controllers to place a dollar value to them. At first, a 27 year old “girl” wasn’t taken too seriously. It only took a few phone calls from John Kern to persuade them to take direction from me (the was a program driven from the bottom up).
When we completed the 100 days, thousands of ideas had come in from all types and levels of employees. We identified $87+ million dollars and the company stayed afloat.
Lessons learned early in my career:
No idea is a dumb idea. One of the ideas submitted by a flight attendant was to remove the satin ribbon tied around the first class napkin and silverware. Part of the group called it stupid and it was early in the program. I took the idea to the controller for Inflight Services and he determined a cost savings of approximately $40,000. When I brought back evaluated ideas with a dollar amount, they would determine what we would implement immediately or at a later point in time.
Part of the group wanted to delay it until one of the flight attendants shared that the dollar amount was the equivalent of 3 junior flight attendants (we had already experienced layoffs). It was implemented immediately which gave HOPE.
We responded back to EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE who submitted an idea with a custom response. I really do believe taking that approach and commitment from the onset helped motivate employees to submit ideas. I can honestly say that the Northwest Now team embraced all 16 of your secrets.
I left the airline industry years ago, but I have reapplied those lessons/secrets in so many ways. Thank you for sharing, Dan. You just made me double down on my own motivation!
Wow! What a great story, Pamela. Thank you for sharing it. The people doing the work often know more than the people sitting around conference tables. Powerful.