Liz Wiseman is one of the world’s leading voices on leadership and talent development. A Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Multipliers and Impact Players, Liz’s work has helped shape leaders at Apple, Google, Meta, and beyond.
In this episode, she shares how growing up in Silicon Valley, facing early life challenges, and leading major teams taught her the power of multiplying — not diminishing — the people around you.
Learn why most managers accidentally hold teams back, how to create real ownership, and what separates contributors from true impact players.
Follow Liz – X (Twitter): https://x.com/LizWiseman
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Timestamps:
0:00 – Growing up in Silicon Valley & donut shop lessons
2:30 – Getting held at gunpoint as a teenager
5:00 – Lessons about ownership, mistakes, and leadership
8:00 – Why micromanagement kills creativity
10:00 – Diminishers vs. Multipliers explained
13:00 – Accidental diminishers: how good intentions backfire
17:00 – Understanding the power you have as a leader
20:00 – Why space, not pressure, fuels great teams
24:00 – Being underutilized is exhausting: why it drains people
27:00 – The difference between contributors and impact players
30:00 – Impact players dive into uncertainty instead of waiting
35:00 – How childhood lessons shape leadership styles
40:00 – Why willingness beats talent early in your career
45:00 – How to create a stretch-and-safety environment
48:00 – Coaching yourself and others to become impact players
53:00 – Parenting lessons and raising confident adults
Episode Partners:
Notion
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Google Cloud
Accelerate your AI startup with Google for Startups Cloud Program: https://partners.startupgrind.com/partner/google-cloud/
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