Why Your Leadership Might Be Killing Your Team’s Potential (And How to Fix It)

Have you ever felt that despite your best efforts, your team isn’t performing at the level you know they’re capable of? You might be unintentionally limiting their potential. Research shows that leadership styles profoundly influence how much intelligence and capability people bring to work.

Diminishers—the leaders who micromanage, demand perfection, and control decision-making—cause people to give only 20% to 50% of their capability. This hidden cost manifests as low morale, innovation droughts, and high turnover.

One vivid example involves a sales executive who controlled every detail, leaving his team disengaged and afraid to take initiative. When a new leader adopted a Multiplier approach—trusting the team, encouraging debate, and setting stretch goals—the team’s productivity doubled within months.

Underlying this behavior are assumptions about intelligence being scarce and fixed. Diminishers often believe they must be the smartest person in the room, leading to hoarding of information and credit.

Shifting to a Multiplier mindset requires recognizing intelligence as expandable and believing in others’ potential. This shift transforms leadership from a zero-sum game to a collaborative journey.

Practical steps to move from diminishing to multiplying include: giving others space to lead, asking questions instead of giving answers, celebrating mistakes as learning opportunities, and investing time in coaching.

Creating psychological safety is crucial. When people feel safe to voice ideas and challenge assumptions, creativity flourishes. Leaders who listen attentively and respond constructively build this safety.

Imagine the transformation when your team feels trusted, challenged, and supported. This is the promise of Multiplier leadership—a promise backed by data and stories from some of the world’s most successful organizations.

Take the first step today by reflecting on your leadership style and committing to one small change that multiplies intelligence rather than diminishes it.

Sources: Readingraphics.com, AvalonAccounting.ca, LinkedIn Pulse 1 , 2 , 3