RT2C W1D2 Capstone

Discussion 2: Multipliers Versus Diminishes, the Accidental Diminisher, and the Empire Builder

Before change can be addressed in a successful manner, the various factors influencing change need to be identified and understood. For example, factors that commonly affect organizational design may include size, life cycle, strategy, environment, and technology.

Wiseman, L. (2017). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins.

· Foreword

· Preface

· Chapter 1, “The Multiplier Effect”

· Chapter 2, “The Talent Manager”

· Appendix C, “The Multipliers” 

· The Multipliers Assessment: Are You an Accidental Diminisher? https://thewisemangroup.com/find-your-diminishers/

· https://thewisemangroup.com/find-your-diminishers/  

Assignment:

Respond to at two of your colleagues’ postings “See below” that contain a perspective other than yours. “

Your response will typically be 2–3 paragraphs in length, as a general expectation.

· Share an insight about what you learned from having read your colleagues’ postings and discuss how and why your colleague’s posting resonated with you professionally and personally. (Note: This may be a great opportunity to help you think about passions you share with your colleagues who could become part of your Walden network.)

· Offer an example from your experience or observation that validates what your colleague discussed.

· Offer specific suggestions that will help your colleague build upon his or her perceptions as a leader.

· Offer further assessment from having read your colleague’s post that could impact a leader’s effectiveness.

· Share how something your colleague discussed changed the way you consider your own leadership qualities.

· 2-3 paragraphs in length

· No Plagiarism

· APA citing

1st Colleague - Natasha Mills 

Multipliers Versus Diminishes, the Accidental Diminisher, and the Empire Builder

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The quiz The Multipliers Assessment: Are You an Accidental Diminisher? has revealed that the qualities I initially perceived make me a multiplier actually make me an accidental diminisher. For instance, I have consistently relied on the quality of rapid responder because I believe that it saves time and prevents me from causing any unnecessary inconveniences. This belief fully corresponds with the provided intention in the quiz, that rapid responders think they are making the organization move fast (Leadership Potential Consulting, n.d). Another quality I tend to rely on significantly that makes me an accidental diminisher is being a pacesetter or an achievement-oriented leader. I believe in setting performance standards and upholding the values of the organization for the smooth flow of operations. To my surprise, the approach is associated with others becoming spectators or quitters when keeping up becomes a challenge (Leadership Potential Consulting, n.d). These were the most intriguing results of my assessment since I was already aware of the repercussions of most of the other qualities. For instance, I am aware that being a rescuer as a leader results in the passivity of followers, thereby impeding their growth in terms of careers and in the leadership realm.

The quiz also led me to reflect on the qualities of the quintessential multipliers and diminishers that have been part of my career and life experiences. The reflection leads me to agree with Wiseman’s (2017) argument that working among diminishers for long, even when one initially has the mind of a multiplier, transforms them into accidental diminishers. The influence of those around me contributed to my becoming of an accidental diminisher because they helped shape most of my values and beliefs that I have all along considered as those of a multiplier. However, it is essential to mention that they also believe their actions made them multipliers but most, if not all, of them are accidental diminishers. As a result, I also became an accidental diminisher native.

Talent magnets is a term associated with multipliers. This is because talent magnets are leaders who attract and optimize talent by deploying the attracted talent to the fullest, leading to their success and growth, regardless of who owns the resources used in the process (Wiseman, 2017). Empire builders, on the other hand, are diminishers. Empire builders acquire, separate, and waste resources by insisting on ownership and control. As a result, they restrict growth by impeding the effective use of the available resources. Hence, the significant difference between talent magnets and empire builders is in how they use resources, where talent magnets use resources to full capacity while empire builders underutilize talent and hoard resources (Wiseman, 2017).

The above aspects explain the statement that what differentiates talent magnets and empire builders is what they do with the talent once it’s in the door. The facets also clarify the practices of talent magnets. The first practice of talent magnets is to look for talent everywhere, ignoring boundaries and appreciating all types of genius (Wiseman, 2017). This means that talent managers are not selective in choosing the talent they want to work with even though they attract the best talent. Another practice of talent magnets is the finding of the native genius of people (Wiseman, 2017). The practice shows that talent magnets appreciate the uniqueness of individuals, a factor that increases the potential for innovation.

Once talent magnets have looked for and found talent, they utilize them to the fullest by shining a spotlight and connecting people with opportunities (Wiseman, 2017). The practice confirms the definition of talent magnets as those that cultivate the growth and success of their talent. Lastly, talent magnets remove any blockers, thereby creating a safe environment for people, as opposed to empire builders who create a stressful environment for the talent they attract. The safe environment talent magnets create fosters bold thinking, which, in turn, have positive implications on career growth and success.  

Leadership Potential Consulting.  http://www.elisefoster.com/multiplier/accidental-diminisher

Wiseman, L. (2017). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter (Rev. ed.). HarperCollins.

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2nd Colleague - Sandra Patterson 

RE: Discussion 2 - Week 1

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Week 1 Discussion 2: “Multipliers versus Diminishers, the Accidental Diminisher, and the Empire Builder”

Share the results of my quiz, and quotes from multipliers and diminishers that have influenced my life:

This quiz was remarkably effective. It turns out that I am an accidental diminisher. I have a moderate pacesetter tendency. This means that I believe that my arduous work will rub off on my team, but on the other hand, it might also reduce their accountability levels in the organization. So, I will continue to learn about ways to transfer ownership properly. I have a slight tendency toward being a rapid responder. I have learned that if I continue to take the time to gather data, I will arrive at a sounder decision that can easily be executed in the organization. I am not always enthusiastic and energetic, so there were no extensive details in that section. I have a moderate protector tendency. That is why I have learned that I need to get out of the way by teaching others how to be independent. I have an extensive tendency toward acting as a resource manager. I need to continue to learn that I need to leverage the talent that I have in my organization everywhere. In that manner, I will not be limiting the talent pool to simply those who are around me. So, I will continue to learn how to find and leverage talent inside and outside my organization. I have a moderate rescuer tendency. I will continue to learn about ways to encourage full ownership that will allow others to deliver results independently. I have a moderate optimist tendency. This means that I could be undervaluing the struggle that the team is experiencing. I will continue to learn ways to be able to signal my understanding of the team’s struggle by creating space for others to share their point of view. I also have a moderate idea fountain tendency. I may think that I am sparking creativity, but on the contrary, they might be overwhelming others. I will continue to learn about ways to restrain my constant flow of ideas. As a result, I will seek opportunities for others to be able to think through. I have a slight tendency toward being a perfectionist. So, while giving advice, I might see a masterpiece already while others may see nothing. I need to continue to help people to produce outstanding work that they can be proud of. I will continue to learn about ways to make space for errors in others. I have a slightly moderate strategist tendency. I might provide a vision that is too descriptive. It may not leave enough space for others to think through their challenges for themselves. I will learn about ways where I can use my insight and vision to seed opportunities, and then I will lay down these challenges so that others can learn to solve them too.

The following quotes from various multipliers and diminishers have had a profound impact on the way I live my life: “I do not get attached to anything. I am like a good antique dealer. I am prepared to sell my most valuable table “Ridley Scott. “Once you have a point of view, all history will back you up” Van Wyck Brooks. The first one always reminds me that there are more important things in life than owning things. It reminds me about the importance of valuable friendships and the impact of people’s lives. The second one reminds me that it is important to earn your respect in this world because no one will do it for you. But once you have earned others’ respect, then you can make a positive impact in society.

Address if I am an accidental diminisher, and describe the differences between an empire builder versus a talent magnet:

Based on the quiz results, since I am an accidental diminisher, I will continue to remember that accidental diminishers are well-intentioned leaders who through subtlety unintentionally shut down others’ intelligence. As a result, they tend to only follow management principles instead of leadership principles. The main types of diminishers that I want to focus on are first the optimist. This type believes that they can tackle anything with their team through arduous work and a cheerful outlook. Secondly, the pacesetter is highly achievement oriented and tends to lead from the front. They set the standard and pace for the rest of the organization. The rescuer wants to help their team members to succeed. So, at the slightest sign of trouble, they jump in so that they can help to maintain their team members’ reputation. Finally, the idea type is a big thinker and a visionary. They are always innovating and willing to share their ideas with their team. I am seeing that even though my results had a bent toward being an accidental diminisher, it does not entirely describe me. So, I will continue to learn to balance these results with the multiplier side and this will help to remind me that I cannot control everything (Hallie, 2022).

The main difference between an empire builder versus a talent magnet is that the empire builder brings in talent, but they under-utilize it because they hoard resources by using them for their own gain. On the contrary, the talent magnets get access to the best talent because people flock to work for them because they know that they will be fully utilized to be ready for the next stage (Bokade, R., 2021).

Explain “What differentiates them is what they do with the talent once it is in the door”

This quote is reminding us that in most companies, the problem of finding ‘high-performance’ falls on the managers. Therefore, the manager’s job is to build as many leaders as possible and then turn them over to the company to be moved into new positions. So, the most puzzling questions that are to be addressed are how to identify these high performers. They are identified by conducting high performer analysis. That is why it is important to redesign employee branding, recruiting, succession, training, and leadership development for certain roles. The redesign will build directly upon the key characteristics of the high performers. As a result, that is why businesses spend 3-5% of payroll on HR and training activities because much of this is dedicated to programs like compensation, benefits, and record keeping. Therefore, differentiating, measuring, and replicating high-performance are part of HR’s next objectives (Bersin, J., 2010).

Describe the four practices of the talent magnet:

The four practices of the talent magnet are as follows. First, they look for talent everywhere by attracting talent and deploying it at its highest point of contribution. Secondly, they find people’s native genius because they have developed a reputation for being a place where a person would want to go to grow. Third, they utilize people to their fullest by using people whose genius continues to expand. Finally, they remove the blockers by being players who attract others into the organization because they are also the types of players who can attract other players as they move up and out of the organization (Bokade, R., 2021).

References:

Bersin, J., (2010) “How and why we must differentiate talent” https:/joshbersin.com/2010/04/how-and-

Bokade, R., (2021) “The empire builder versus talent magnet”  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/empire-builder-vs-

Hallie, (2022) “Are you an accidental diminisher?”  https://founderandforcemultiplier.com/are-you-an-accidental-diminisher/

Multipliers and Diminishers, (n.d.) “Multipliers and Diminishers quotes”  https://www.wisefamousquotes.com/quotes-about-multipliers-and-diminishers

The Wiseman group, (n.d.) The Multipliers Assessment: Are you an accidental diminisher? [Quiz]   https://thewisemangroup.com/find-your-diminishers

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