The 100X Leader

8Becoming a Multiplication Master

Some leaders divide, while others subtract. Some will add, but the best leaders multiply.

— A GiANT axiom

What is specifically noble about the Sherpa is that most of them are not concerned about how many times they have summited Mount Everest. John Beede, our mountain climber from Chapter 1, explains it like this, “if you ask them, the Sherpa might be able to tell you how many times they have climbed to the top. However, what they are most proud of is how many clients they have helped summit. They know the exact number, whether it’s ‘8 or 10 or 16’ when referring to the success they have helped others achieve.”

The Sherpa trust each other and believe the best in those they are serving. They can, however, burn out if the vision that they have for their clients is larger than the clients’ own. Although the Sherpa can guide, carry, encourage, and climb up and down to help, they simply cannot carry or drag an unwilling or unmotivated climber to the top. The climber needs to have the same motivation as the Sherpa in order to succeed, and the 100X leader works on motivation as well as acclimation.

Therefore, it is the job of the 100X leader to observe when negative voices take over or when someone on their team lacks focus or even when there is pride or arrogance that could affect the group. And they multiply what they know to help those they are leading, but what is multiplication?

Intentional Multiplication

Multiplication is the intentional ...