How Great Leaders Make Everyone Better (with Liz Wiseman)

2026-07-15

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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years. Building high-performance teams, especially in dynamic industries, can be one of the biggest challenges a leader faces. Sometimes passionate founders or senior leaders can go from passionate advocate to authoritarian autocrat. Left unchecked, this can lead to organizations underperforming in the long term and missed opportunities. So where is the balance? In this episode, Kim speaks...

While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

Building high-performance teams, especially in dynamic industries, can be one of the biggest challenges a leader faces. Sometimes passionate founders or senior leaders can go from passionate advocate to authoritarian autocrat. Left unchecked, this can lead to organizations underperforming in the long term and missed opportunities. So where is the balance?

In this episode, Kim speaks with Liz Wiseman, the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers. Liz and Kim explore the pitfalls of authoritarian leadership, the power of multipliers, and how leaders can foster environments where everyone does the best work of their lives and builds the best relationships of their careers. Liz does point out that there are certain, limited instances where a top down, “command and control” approach is the right choice (for example, during an acute crisis), but these instances should be rare and targeted. They also discuss practical strategies for managing diminishing leaders and creating impact regardless of leadership style. They also talk about the importance of understanding power dynamics in leadership.

Guest Background: Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to top organizations worldwide. She wrote the New York Times bestsellers Multipliers, The Multiplier Effect, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Rookie Smarts and Impact Players.

CHAPTERS

(00:33) Introduction to Radical Sabbatical and Guest Liz Wiseman

(02:06) The Flaws of Authoritarian Leadership

(06:06) Diminishers vs. Multipliers: Leadership Styles

(12:16) When Authoritarian Leadership is Necessary

(20:27) The Balance of Command and Collaboration

(23:36) The Impact of Leadership Styles

(26:34) Navigating Innovation and Crisis

(29:30) The Balance of Authority and Collaboration

(32:35) Lessons from Great Leaders

(36:38) Understanding Accidental Diminishers

(45:03) The Impact of Perfectionism on Team Dynamics