Business Leadership 12: Trait of Being An Empowering Motivator

This continues our series on leadership traits that empower and motivate  others

Effective leaders act as empowering motivators to their staff. I hope you notice both parts of that statement. They empower their staff to act. They motivate people to achieve predetermined objectives. Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeon wrote the book Multipliers after researching great leaders who both empowered and motivated those under them. You, as a small-business owner, may use the same techniques.

Multipliers versus Diminishers

Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeon wrote “We’ve all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders.

• The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room. These are the 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. When these leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off over people’s heads; ideas flow and problems get solved. These are the leaders who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations. These are the Multipliers. And the world needs more of them, especially now when leaders are expected to do more with less. ”

Tools on Liz Wiseman’s Web Site

Multipliers web site contains assessments to determine if you are a multiplier or diminisher.

Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeon provide wonderful resources on their web site:

In the resources section of the web site you find:

• Multipliers: Chapter One (an excerpt from the book)
• Accidental Diminisher Quiz (5 minutes from the site)
• Multipliers model (downloadable PDF)
• Multipliers Discussion Page (questions for discussion)
• 30 Day Multipliers Challenge (change from diminisher to multiplier in 30 days)
• Multiplier Workshops (find workshops in your area)
• Speaking Engagements (Hear Liz or Greg speak)

The media section of the web site features articles and stories about Multipliers on

• The Wall Street Journal
• CNBC.com
• Live Mint
• The National
• Gulf Business
• Podcasts
• BMF: The Business Radio Station

Tuesday we will examine how leaders act as facilitating mediators