As a Marketing leader, I often started my day with 50+ unread emails in my inbox (The email struggle is real!). One specific day started with a product manager from Europe shooting me a late-night message, seeking more intel about a marketing campaign. I responded swiftly, providing some initial information and a friendly reminder about an upcoming live session. And with that, I continued with my day.
However, a few hours later, an email from a senior leader, conveniently on CC, dropped into my inbox. This email contained specific feedback, complete with detailed instructions down to bullet points, on how I should have responded.
Now, let me give you some context. I was two decades into my career, managing a team and overseeing millions in revenue. How did my daily routine deteriorate to the point where I was receiving feedback from senior leaders about emails to mid-level managers within my own company? Had I forgotten how to write an email?
Welcome to the world of Micromanagement – where well-intentioned managers can inadvertently stifle talent and hinder productivity. It's a topic that frequently arises in my coaching practice, and my exploration of it led me to Liz Wiseman's book, "Multiplier." Wiseman coined the term "diminisher" to encompass leaders who unintentionally reduce employee potential through lack of empowerment.
Wiseman introduces two contrasting leadership styles:
Diminisher- squash innovation and talent by doing all the thinking themselves. They have to put their mark on everything.
Multiplier - grows intelligence by engaging it. They don’t need the credit and they don’t need to be the smartest in the room.
I’d never really thought about how a high need for control can really slow an organisation down- until I felt myself withering under the scrutiny.
Effectively, it boils down to math.
Have you ever felt that you’re only working at 50% yet you feel 100% drained at the end of the day? If you have a leader (accidental or not) that is a diminisher, it is common for you or your team to feel stifled, depleted, toxic, or overworked but underutilised.
Conversely, have you ever worked for a leader who challenges and trusts you? If so, is there a chance you felt your intelligence and your team’s output was over 100%? Multipliers are a type of leader that makes a team stronger than the parts. They encourage, assume good intent, name individual strengths, provide growth opportunities, coach rather than help, provide specific feedback, believe in their people, invest in their learning, ask them for ideas and listen.
Trust Batteries and Leadership Style
If we assume that we all lead with the best of intentions, why do we have so many diminishers in leadership positions?
Firstly, let’s get real here- we don’t live in a world of good and evil. We all have a mix of Multiplier and Diminisher traits- and we all have different triggers that bring them out. It’s a matter of being introspective enough to understand how they’re activated.
The first time I noted my diminisher coming out is when I hired someone on my team that had a very unique style. As a result, they weren’t ramping as quickly as I had hoped. I felt myself getting impatient and my leadership style getting more detailed and tough. Was it me? Was it this person?
Through my past interactions with Shopify, I've embraced the concept of a "Trust Battery" in my leadership style, coined by Tobi Lütke, the CEO of Shopify. It essentially measures the level of trust we've built with someone. Initially, I told my new team members that my trust battery started and remained full, as long as they delivered and gave their best efforts. But I realized it actually began at 50%, and their actions either charged it or depleted it. As trust decreased, my management style acquired more diminisher traits. In effect, I was a brilliant Multiplier manager when I trusted people, but I had to clarify my trust battery approach and establish a regular feedback loop to create a psychologically safe environment.
I encourage you to dive into "Multipliers" and take some time to reflect on your own balance between leading as a diminisher and a multiplier. How can you become the leader (or parent!) who extracts 100%+ from your team while fostering a motivating, fun, caring, and safe environment? It's not just good for business; it's good for humanity.
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