554: How to Multiply Your Impact, with Liz Wiseman

Nov 15, 2021

Liz Wiseman, a leadership researcher and CEO of The Wiseman Group, discusses how to amplify your impact in an organization. She emphasizes the importance of doing what needs to be done without being asked and developing 'upward empathy' to understand managers' needs. Wiseman also shares insights on aligning personal goals with organizational objectives and recognizing contributions without self-promotion. Through anecdotes and practical advice, she encourages curiosity in communication to foster better workplace dynamics.

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ANECDOTE

Unexpected Opportunity

Liz Wiseman shares a story about her early career at Oracle.
Despite wanting to teach leadership, she accepted a technical training role, which unexpectedly led to her managing Oracle University.

INSIGHT

Impact Player Mindset

Impact players prioritize the needs of the organization.
They focus on the job that needs to be done, even if it's outside their job description.

ADVICE

Upward Empathy

Practice upward empathy by understanding your boss's challenges and needs.
This helps you contribute effectively and builds a stronger working relationship.

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Liz Wiseman: Impact Players

Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter*, The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools*, and Wall Street Journal bestseller Rookie Smarts*. She is the CEO of The Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm headquartered in Silicon Valley.

Her clients include: Apple, Disney, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Tesla, Twitter, and many others. Liz has been listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and named one of the top 10 leadership thinkers in the world. She is a former Oracle executive, who worked over the course of 17 years as the Vice President of Oracle University and as the global leader for Human Resource Development.

Liz is the author of Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact*. In this conversation, Liz and I discuss the mindset that’s most useful in making real traction in an organization. Plus, we explore practical steps that you can take to think bigger and get noticed for your work.

Key Points

The #1 thing managers appreciate: when employees do things that need doing without being asked.
Upward empathy is the ability to consider what the bosses situation feels like — and what they need from you.
Pursuing your passion sounds nice in a commencement speech, but can get in the way of what the organization actually needs.
A job description might be a starting point, but it’s almost never the ending point.
Beware of becoming the foosball player that does hard work in one spot, but misses the bigger picture. Become a nimble midfielder who plays where they are most needed.

Resources Mentioned

Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact* by Liz Wiseman
The Wiseman Group

Interview Notes

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