There is nothing inherently wrong with making decisions. But how decisions are made can have a significant impact on an organization—either creating higher levels of engagement and execution or disengagement and dissatisfaction.

Liz Wiseman, author of Multipliers, agrees that good leaders are made, not born. She states that “leadership skills can be taught and management practices can and should be refined and improved upon as leadership styles and behaviors evolve.”

In her book she introduces two types of leaders: Multipliers and Diminishers.

Diminishers drain intelligence and capability out of their teams. Because of their need to be the smartest, most capable person in the room, they often shut down the smarts of others, ultimately stifling the flow of ideas. They pride themselves for being decision makers, not realizing that in the process they are stifling and underutilizing people and leaving creativity and talent on the table.

Multipliers on the other hand, as capable as they are, care less about flaunting their own IQs and more about fostering a culture of intelligence in their organizations. They recognize that people are smart and bring value to the team and that one of the best ways to access that value is to create debate within a safe environment. As a result, under their leadership, employees don’t just feel smarter, they become smarter, and better decisions are ultimately made for the benefit of the team and the organization.

In her February 1, 2017 Skillsoft Blog, entitled Creating Debate to Improve Decision Making, Liz challenges leaders, to “think of some important organizational decisions were made recently within your company. Were there any problems that came up after the fact – in whispered conversations in hallways and cubicles – as baffled teams tried to make sense of decisions that seemed abrupt and random? Diminishers create this unproductive dynamic because they tend to make decisions alone or with input from just a small inner circle of advisers. The result is an organization left reeling, instead of executing.”

“By contrast, Multipliers engage people in rigorous, upfront debates about the issues at hand. They give people a chance to weigh in and consider different possibilities—ultimately strengthening team members’ understanding of the issue and increasing the likelihood that they’ll be ready to carry out whatever actions are required.”

“In our research, we found that Multipliers did three specific things very differently from Diminishers when it came to decision-making.”

“While Diminishers raise issues, dominate discussions, and force decisions, Multipliers:

1. Frame the Issue
   1. Define the question
   2. Form the team
   3. Assemble the data
   4. Frame the decision
2. Spark the debate
   1. Create safety for best-thinking
   2. Demand rigor
3. Drive a Sound Decision
   1. Re-clarify the decision-making process
   2. Make the decision
   3. Communicate the decision and rationale

Liz finishes her blog post with the following four steps for those that want to become debate makers:

1. Ask the hard questions,
2. Ask for evidence,
3. Ask everyone,
4. Ask people to switch positions.

Herb Mast is Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.