Leaders Do the Math

John Maxwell recently published an article in BusinessWeek on the mathematical principles of leadership and how leaders can be adders, subtractors, dividers, or multipliers. I recommend checking it out. I reflected on the management and leadership styles I've experienced in varied work environments and was able to pinpoint some of the subtractors and multipliers I've run across in my day. It's amazing to see how one can be classified into one of the 4 categories and the real impact it has on the big picture, vision, and atmosphere of an organization.

The contrast between the adder and multiplier is most interesting. Sure, the adder is a valued form of leadership, and adds to the lives of those they coach, but the multiplier is the higher form of leadership that really enables and motivates those around them to do and be better. Adders lift people up, multipliers add to those whose lives they touch.

Any time you want to measure the contribution of a leader—living or dead—use leader's math to do it. More important, if you are a leader, use it to measure your own contribution. Here's the good news: Anyone who wants to can become an adder. It takes only a desire to lift people up, basic leadership skills, and the intentionality to follow through.
But I encourage you to take your leadership to a higher level—to become a multiplier. To do that, one must be strategic, skilled, and highly intentional. It doesn't happen accidentally. But if you do add value to others, you won't have to worry about how others will characterize your life when it's over.