Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

Liz Wiseman's research reveals a startling finding: the best leaders get 2x more from their teams than average leaders. These "Multipliers" don't just delegate - they amplify the intelligence around them.

The book contrasts Multipliers with Diminishers across five disciplines: Talent Magnet vs Empire Builder (attracting and developing talent), Liberator vs Tyrant (creating space for best thinking), Challenger vs Know-It-All (stretching people's thinking), Debate Maker vs Decision Maker (driving sound decisions), and Investor vs Micromanager (instilling ownership).

Key insights include how smart leaders can accidentally diminish others, the "Accidental Diminisher" patterns to avoid, why telling people what to do reduces their capability, and how to shift from being the genius to being the genius maker.

Practical techniques cover asking questions instead of giving answers, creating space for others to contribute, admitting what you don't know, giving 51% of the vote to others, and distinguishing between "hard opinions, softly held."

For technical leaders transitioning from IC to management, this book is essential for breaking the "smartest person in the room" trap and building teams that think for themselves.