Switch from adding more to multiplying what you already have
When a small marketing team faced higher campaign demands, their instinct was to hire more designers. Instead, their director challenged them to multiply what they had. They audited existing templates, plucked high‐impact assets, and paired junior designers with veterans for peer coaching.
Within two weeks, productivity doubled without new hires. The senior designers also found time to mentor, which accelerated skill growth. Campaign turnaround times improved by 40 percent, and team morale soared as everyone owned the solution.
This echoes the logic of multiplication: focus on amplifying current capabilities rather than defaulting to addition. McKinsey research shows organizations that leverage existing talent outperform peers by up to 25 percent.
Next time you’re asked to ‘do more with less,’ start by asking how you can do twice more with what you already have. It’s a shift in mindset that turns lean times into innovation opportunities.
Next week, list every team skill and tool you already own. Then brainstorm aloud: how can we reuse or combine these assets to double our output? Pick one idea to pilot immediately—no new hires needed. Give it a shot this week.
What You'll Achieve
You’ll break the habit of requesting more resources and instead build a culture of creativity and efficiency. Teams will deliver higher performance without headcount growth.
Map resource multiplication pathways
Inventory existing strengths.
Spend 15 minutes mapping your team’s core talents and resources on a whiteboard. Note hidden skills and underused tools across functions.
Brainstorm leverage tactics.
For each asset, ask “How can this be used at twice the efficiency?” or “How could we combine these strengths for greater impact?” Capture every idea, even wild ones.
Pilot top ideas.
Choose one or two promising leverage tactics and run a one-week small‐scale test. Measure impact on output per person rather than adding headcount.
Reflection Questions
- What capabilities do we underutilize every day?
- How can we pair existing skills to tackle new challenges?
- What quick test can we run to prove our multiplication idea?
Personalization Tips
- In your gym routine, use compound exercises to work multiple muscle groups at once instead of adding extra sets.
- When budgeting, repurpose existing subscriptions—share software licenses instead of buying new ones.
- In family chores, rotate tasks weekly so each member learns every chore, doubling flexibility.
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
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