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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Multipliers

How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

Liz Wiseman

In 'Multipliers,' Liz Wiseman explores the differences between two types of leaders: Multipliers and Diminishers. Multipliers are leaders who bring out the best in their teams, amplifying their intelligence and capabilities, while Diminishers are those who stifle their teams' potential. The book outlines five disciplines of Multipliers: Talent Magnet, Liberator, Challenger, Debate Maker, and Investor. These disciplines help leaders create an environment where team members feel valued, inspired, and empowered to contribute their best. Wiseman's research shows that Multipliers get twice as much from their people compared to Diminishers, who often leave their teams underutilized and demotivated.

Rookie smarts

Liz Wiseman

In 'Rookie Smarts', Liz Wiseman argues that experience can sometimes be a hindrance to innovation and growth. She identifies four rookie mindsets – Backpacker, Hunter-Gatherer, Firewalker, and Pioneer – that veterans can adopt to remain curious, flexible, and hungry for learning. The book emphasizes the importance of unlearning, relearning, and maintaining a state of mind that is open to new challenges and perspectives. Wiseman's research highlights that in many circumstances, inexperience can be more valuable than experience, and that the most successful leaders are those who can toggle between their veteran savvy and rookie smarts.

Impact Players

How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact

Liz Wiseman

In 'Impact Players', Liz Wiseman identifies the key differences between high-impact contributors and typical contributors. Based on a study of 170 top contributors, Wiseman explains how small differences in thinking and acting can make a significant impact. She outlines five practices that distinguish Impact Players: figuring out the real job to be done, stepping up to lead, moving things across the finish line, adapting to change, and making heavy demands feel lighter. The book provides insights and practical tools to help anyone contribute at their highest level and shows leaders how to raise the performance of their teams.

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 Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Benefit of Being a Rookie, with Liz Wiseman (episode 340) Influence Through Overlapping Networks, with Sandie Morgan (episode 422) How to Motivate Leaders, with John Maxwell (episode 452) Keep Your Ideas From Being Stolen (Dave’s Journal) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.