Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Multipliers summary
How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
24 mins
Brief summary
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman is a leadership book that highlights the difference between diminishers and multipliers. It shows how to create a culture of empowerment, where the team members feel valued and can unleash their full potential.
Topics
Table of Contents
Multipliers
Summary of 9 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 9
There are two types of leaders: those who diminish the strengths of their team and those who multiply them.
Generally, there are two kinds of bosses: those who make you feel like you were born to do your job, and those who make you dread going to work in the morning.
These are, respectively, Multipliers and Diminishers.
Diminishers are the kinds of managers that sap both intelligence and energy out of their employees.
While a Diminisher is often a smart person, they’re usually focused more on their own intelligence than they are on taking advantage of the potential smarts within their team. In fact, Diminishers tend to stifle ideas, which results in employees harboring feelings of unfulfillment and inferiority.
Let’s look at an example. Vikram was a worker at Intel who had to cope with a manager who was a Diminisher. Even though this manager was an intelligent and capable scientist, he would eat up around a third of every meeting talking about his plans, while shooting down any other idea that wasn’t his own. Eventually, the impression that Vikram and his coworkers got was that their manager didn’t want them thinking for themselves!
Diminishers earn their name because these actions have a diminishing effect on the capability and productivity of their underlings.
When employees working under a Diminisher were asked about the level of effort they gave, they generally responded with numbers between 20 and 50 percent.
Multipliers, on the other hand, do the opposite: they increase the intelligence and achievements of their team.
A prototypical example of a Multiplier is the legendary basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
When Magic was a young, up-and-coming star, his high school coach always made sure the other players on the team would pass the ball to Magic so that he could score. This certainly led to the team winning games – but when the games were over, Magic would see sad or disappointed looks on the faces of his teammates’ parents.
It was then that he decided he would use his skills to help everyone on his team shine and be the best they could be. And this is how Magic earned his nickname: he had the amazing ability to raise the game of each and every teammate.
Most leaders aren’t an extreme Diminisher or Multiplier, but rather fall somewhere in between. So, next, we’ll look at some of the key Multiplier qualities you can start adopting today.
Want to see all full key ideas from Multipliers?
Key ideas in Multipliers
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Multipliers about?
Multipliers (2010) examines the difference between good leaders, known as Multipliers, who can join any team and make it flourish, and bad leaders, known as Diminishers, who can drain any team of its energy and drive. Author Liz Wiseman explains how to recognize the different types of Multipliers and Diminishers, while comparing the skills you should strive to develop with the ones you should avoid at all cost.
Multipliers Review
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman (2010) explores the concept of leaders who amplify the intelligence and capabilities of their team, resulting in higher productivity and better performance. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Provides insightful analysis on how to become a multiplier leader and unlock the full potential of your team.
- Offers real-world examples and stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of multiplier leadership, making the concepts relatable and applicable.
- Challenges traditional leadership assumptions and provides a fresh perspective on how to inspire and motivate your team for outstanding results.
Best quote from Multipliers
I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow. - US President Woodrow Wilson
—Liz Wiseman
Who should read Multipliers?
- Leaders and managers looking to get the best from their team
- Workers concerned about their managers’ leadership practices
- Anyone looking to understand the dynamics of leadership
Categories with Multipliers
Book summaries like Multipliers
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
34 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Multipliers FAQs
What is the main message of Multipliers?
The main message of Multipliers is that leaders can maximize the intelligence and capabilities of their teams by adopting a specific mindset and engaging in certain behaviors.
How long does it take to read Multipliers?
The reading time for Multipliers varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Multipliers a good book? Is it worth reading?
Multipliers is a insightful and practical book that offers valuable insights on effective leadership. It is definitely worth reading for anyone in a leadership role.
Who is the author of Multipliers?
The author of Multipliers is Liz Wiseman.
What to read after Multipliers?
If you're wondering what to read next after Multipliers, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
- The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey with Rebecca R. Merrill
- Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore
- The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
- The Everyday Hero Manifesto by Robin Sharma
- The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- Mindset by Carol Dweck
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters