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Multipliers Leave a Legacy. Diminishers Leave a Scar.
Inspired by Liz Wiseman's book Multipliers, this article explores the profound impact leaders have on the people they lead. Through personal reflections on the Multipliers and Diminishers in my own career, I share how great leaders unlock potential, build confidence, and create environments where people thrive, while others unintentionally limit growth and leave lasting scars. Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It's about bringing out the best in others.
10/5/20263 min read
I am currently reading Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, and one concept has stayed with me long after I closed the book.
Wiseman's research found that Multipliers are leaders who get roughly twice the capability from their teams, while Diminishers often get less than half. The difference is not talent. It is leadership.
Multipliers see the intelligence, capability, and potential in the people around them. They create environments where innovation flourishes, ideas are welcomed, and individuals are empowered to contribute at their highest level. Diminishers, on the other hand, often feel the need to be the smartest person in the room. They control, micromanage, and limit the growth of those around them, often driven by fear, insecurity, or a need to maintain authority.
As I read, I found myself reflecting on my own leadership journey and thinking about the people who shaped me along the way.
I can immediately identify two significant Multipliers in my career. One was a leader I worked for, and the other was someone who worked for me but taught me just as much as I could have ever taught them.
What stands out about both of these individuals is how deeply they cared about people. They took the time to understand what motivated each team member. They recognized unique strengths and knew how to position people where they could thrive. They created space for others to lead, contribute, and grow.
Working for a leader like that changes you.
Multipliers make you believe you are capable of more than you thought possible. They see potential before you see it yourself. They challenge you without diminishing you. They stretch you while making you feel supported. They create the conditions where confidence grows because people know their voice matters.
When I think back on those experiences, I remember feeling energized, engaged, and inspired. I wanted to do my best work, not because I had to, but because I wanted to contribute to something bigger than myself.
Unfortunately, I can also think of a few Diminishers I worked for throughout my career.
The impact was completely different.
Instead of feeling empowered, I found myself questioning my worth. Instead of being encouraged to grow, I was reminded to stay in my lane. Creativity was viewed as disruption. Initiative felt unwelcome. The message, whether spoken or unspoken, was clear: do your job and nothing more.
What I did not fully appreciate at the time was how much that environment affected me beyond the workplace.
I carried the weight home with me.
The self-doubt followed me after hours. The frustration lingered. The passion I normally brought to my work slowly began to shrink. For someone who naturally thrives on growth, challenge, and contribution, working in an environment that demanded small thinking felt exhausting.
Looking back, every time I worked for a Diminisher was also the only time in my career when I knew it was time to move on.
Not because the work was difficult.
Because the environment was limiting.
I have always had a deep passion for helping people, solving problems, and contributing beyond what is expected. I am easy to get on board with a mission when I believe in it. But when a leader consistently asks people to play small, limits their contributions, and values compliance over growth, the cost becomes too great.
As leaders, we should all ask ourselves a simple but important question:
When people leave a conversation with me, do they feel bigger or smaller?
Do they feel more capable or more constrained?
More confident or more doubtful?
More inspired or more fearful?
The answer to that question may reveal whether we are multiplying the talent around us or diminishing it.
The truth is that leadership is not measured by how intelligent, capable, or accomplished we are. Leadership is measured by how much capability we unlock in others.
Years from now, people may not remember every strategy meeting, project plan, or business result. But they will remember how their leader made them feel. They will remember whether someone saw their potential, believed in them, and created opportunities for them to grow.
Multipliers leave a legacy because they invest in people.
Diminishers leave a scar because they limit them.
The choice is ours every day.
Are we creating more leaders, or are we creating more followers?
