Amplifiers

8Amplifier Styles, Motives, and Traits

Amplifiers exist at the intersection of highly capable leaders and exemplary followers. These highly capable and valuable employees exist throughout the organization. The best-run companies know how to spot these star professionals. But it is amazing how some organizations lack the fundamental insights into their employee base to even know where to find these amazing contributors. This intersection presents a unique breed of contributor, and companies that identify, nurture, and advance these Amplifiers will outperform their competitors.

Amplifier Styles

Because Amplifiers combine the best of leadership and followership into one person, they are typically at the top of leadership development succession pipelines. Sometimes this is masked through their leadership capabilities, but it is the unique blend that really sets them apart as their own breed. Amplifiers are great followers who have high career aspirations and the leadership capability to ascend in the organization to take on ever-increasing levels of responsibility. Our experience working with the highest-performing global companies highlights the following Amplifier styles of their leaders, listed in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1 Amplifier Styles

1. Activator

2. Anticipator

3. Handler

4. Magnifier

5. Radiant

6. Trusted advisor/skeptic

Activator

Activators are Amplifiers who have the ability to energize colleagues to take action and start a journey or task. The activator ...