Great leaders should know how to multiply the impact of those on their teams, but all too many become ‘Accidental Diminishers’, according to this leadership expert.

We’ve all worked for the well-meaning leader who, without realising, sucks the energy, motivation and fun out of the room. Perhaps they’re a bit of a scatter brain, or maybe they just really like the sound of their own voice. Either way, it can result in those in their teams feeling exhausted, disengaged and unwilling to speak up.

In the era of the ‘Quiet Quitting’ phenomenon, this is the last thing organisations need.

In her book Multipliers, leadership expert, author and researcher Liz Wiseman refers to these people as ‘Accidental Diminishers’ – they’re somewhere in the middle of great and not-so-great leaders (multipliers and diminishers, respectively). 

Diminishing leaders are what Wiseman calls “intellectual supremacists” who think they’re the only people who can do the work; and Multipliers are “genius makers” who draw on the intelligence and experience of others. 

Diminishing leaders, be they accidental or not, can have detrimental impacts on not only culture but also productivity levels.

“We find that these diminishing leaders can get less than half of people’s available intelligence,” says Wiseman, who was a recent speaker at AHRI’s Convention.

Multipliers, however, got between 70 and 100 per cent of their people’s capabilities and discretionary effort, according to her research.

“People describe the experience of working for diminishers as frustrating and exhausting. Whereas they described working for multipliers as a little bit exhausting, but totally exhilarating.”

This is because they’re being given the opportunity to use their native genius, to stretch themselves out of their comfort zone and to take the lead when the circumstances call for it.

However, to get more leaders to think like multipliers, you first need to identify who your diminishers might be.

Four signs of an ‘Accidental Diminisher’

Accidental Diminishers often exhibit the same behaviours as the Diminisher, but, as the name suggests, do so unintentionally. This can make it difficult to identify and remedy their counterproductive behaviours, but Wiseman has a few tips that might help.

Learning the terminology and behaviours of an Accidental Diminsher can help you to identify if they might be present in your organisation, says Wiseman. Giving this information to the leaders you coach can also prompt self-reflection, she adds.

 The Accidental Diminisher is often:

• An “ideas fountain”. Wiseman says this doesn’t necessarily mean they think their ideas are best (although this would be true in some instances), but that they’re constantly bringing big ideas to their team, who find it difficult to keep up.
• A rescuer or protector. These are leaders who jump in to fix issues before giving people the chance to come up with their own solutions, robbing them of growth opportunities.
• Always on. These are big-personality leaders who often take up a lot of space. While they try to inspire others with their larger-than-life, extroverted approach, they often deplete employees’ energy and make them smaller.
• The strategist. These are leaders who try to sell their big ideas, says Wiseman, but they often get so caught up in their vision that they forget to bring others along on the journey.
  

A trick to tell if you could be exhibiting some of these behaviours is to consider if your help tends to activate and energise others or shut them down, says Wiseman.

“Watch the energy that’s created in the other person when you’re trying to help, motivate and support. If the other person’s energy is going down, but your energy is going up, you’re probably doing it wrong.”

If you’re reading this and are worried you might fit in this category, Wiseman has a helpful quiz you can take on her website. [sign-up required].

“We find that these diminishing leaders can get less than half of people’s available intelligence.” – Liz Wiseman

So if the opposite of diminishing leaders are multipliers, what should HR professionals be looking for to cultivate them?

Keep an eye out for people who guide rather than direct. You’re also looking for someone who doesn’t immediately rescue others from choppy waters. Instead, they make sure that person has a life-jacket and then give them the opportunity to chart their own path back to dry land.

According to Wiseman, there are five disciplines required to be a multiplying leader:

• Be a talent magnet – attract people’s expertise and put it to good use
• Be a liberator – facilitate people’s best thinking
• Be a challenger – give people healthy stretch goals and challenges
• Be a debate maker – facilitate debate on important decisions
• Be an investor – instil accountability in their teams

Avoid elevating the diminisher to management

Why do we have so many diminishers in power? Often it’s because of the way employers design progression opportunities.

“I’ve developed a lot of empathy for the Diminisher over the years. They probably feel like there’s nowhere for them to advance other than in management.

“Having a legitimate dual track organisation is essential. A lot of people who are good at doing the work aren’t great at helping other people do the work. If the boss is great at the job, then it can create an environment where other people feel like they don’t have to be great,” she says.

Read HRM’s case study about Telstra’s dual-track approach to progression.

“We need to create spaces inside organisations for people to just be brilliant and not have to lead people. These people are incredibly valuable to organisations. They shouldn’t just be tossed out because they don’t make good managers.

“If there’s not a place for them to progress and grow, you’re going to keep finding diminishing leaders inside of organisations,” she says.

“Watch the energy that’s created in the other person when you’re trying to help, motivate and support. If the other person’s energy is going down, but your energy is going up, you’re probably doing it wrong.” – Liz Wiseman

We need leaders who are geniuses, but first and foremost genius makers, she adds.

One way great leaders do this is by asking rather than telling.

“[They should] use [their] own knowledge of the market, the technology, the customer, the business, to ask a really good question. You know when someone asks a question that can only be asked if they have a deep understanding of a subject? That’s a really good question.

“It’s almost like diminishing leaders are trying to be too big all the time. Or sometimes you can diminish by being too small, by not giving your team enough guidance, for instance. 

“Lears should ask themselves, ‘What is my most valuable role in this situation? Is it to be the genius who has the answers? Or is it to be the genius maker who uses their intelligence to provoke intelligence in others?’ The best leaders know when it’s time to be big, but they also know when it’s time to be small.”

A longer version of this article first appeared in the June 2022 edition of HRM Magazine.

Want to brush up on your leadership capabilities? AHRI’s short course, Leadership and Management Essentials, is a great place to build upon your foundational skills. Sign up for the next session on 10 October.