the multiplier effect: leadership that creates capacity, not control

Through our work with KASS, I spend a lot of time talking with Owens Saylor about systems, roles, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps leadership development functioning.

Most of our conversations live in the weeds: how decisions move, where things get stuck, and how to keep work from bottlenecking at the top.

In the middle of one of those conversations, Owens said, “I’m going to share a book with you.”

It was more than a book recommendation for me; it named something I was already experiencing in how he was actually leading our work within the communication strategy for KASS.

how this showed up in real work

That conversation wasn’t theoretical. We were working through real questions: who owns what, how clarity gets shared, and how to build systems that don’t depend on one person holding everything together.

Owens didn’t rush to answers. He asked questions. He listened. He gave just enough structure to keep things moving and then trusted the people in the room (us!!!!) to do the work.

When he later pointed me to Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, it felt less like “read this” and more like, “this is how you can amplify your own team.”

what multiplier leadership actually looks like

Here’s what I’ve come to understand about multiplier leadership: it’s quiet.

It’s not about being the most intelligent person in the room.

It’s not about control disguised as clarity.

And it’s definitely not about doing everything yourself.

It looks like creating space for others to think.
It looks like trusting people with real responsibility and NOT just tasks.
It looks like helping others see their role clearly, then...*wait for it* getting out of the way.

Because Owens leads this way with us, we’re able to show up better for KASS. And because KASS operates with that same posture, districts experience partnership instead of pressure.



That’s the multiplier effect. It scales without force.

why this matters for communication in schools and districts

This landed deeply for me as a communications partner.

Communication systems can either multiply leadership or quietly shrink it.

When leaders over-control messaging, people hesitate. When clarity lives in one place, everything slows down. But when leaders share context, invite thinking, and trust others to communicate with care, capacity grows.

Not just the capacity to do the work, but the capacity to lead.

This isn’t about doing leadership “right.” It’s about paying attention.

Where am I creating capacity?
And where might I still be holding control?



I have learned the leaders who make the most significant difference aren’t the ones with the tightest grip. They’re the ones who leave more leadership behind them than they take with them.

want to reflect on this with your team?

At Alchemy, we spend a lot of time helping leaders slow down and notice how their systems shape behavior.

This is a good place to start: where are you multiplying people and where might your systems be getting in the way?