By Andy Rosenberg, Director of Learning Programs at Abilitie

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In today’s fast-paced, matrixed organizations, one question matters more than ever for senior leaders: How do we scale leadership impact across functions and teams without burning people out or losing sight of the bigger picture?

The answer lies in a deceptively simple concept: becoming a “force multiplier” as a leader.

What Is a Force Multiplier in Leadership?

In military terms, a "force multiplier" refers to a factor that amplifies the effectiveness of a unit beyond what would be expected from its size or resources. In leadership development, it’s much the same. Instead of gaining tactical advantage, the goal is to scale leadership effectiveness through others.

At Abilitie, we define a force multiplier as a leader who magnifies their impact by influencing not only what gets done, but how others lead, decide, and align. These leaders do not just manage tasks or people. They orchestrate systems of execution, culture, and strategy that drive exponential results.

They pull higher-leverage levers that make more happen with less effort.

Why It Matters Now, Especially for Leaders of Leaders

As leaders rise through the ranks, they get further from the front lines. Paradoxically, their decisions begin to carry more weight. A well-timed signal, a clarified priority, or a trusted delegation can ripple outward to affect hundreds of employees. These leaders have access to what we at Abilitie call “levers,” which they pull in order to impact results, culture, and alignment within their functions. With these levers, they can achieve more, with less friction.

That is the crux of being a force multiplier: greater impact, less effort.

This capability becomes even more critical at the mid-to-senior levels of leadership. “Leaders of leaders” must not only set direction, they must inspire others to lead. This means making the shift from doing and deciding to orchestrating and enabling. It requires moving from driving performance directly to scaling performance through others.

As organizations become more complex, regulated, remotely distributed and susceptible to socio-economic changes, it's more important now than ever that leaders (who often work remotely or hybrid)  are able to guide others towards greater alignment and autonomy.

The Three Levers of a Force-Multiplying Leader

Over years of building leadership development programs for enterprise clients, we’ve seen that the most impactful leaders consistently work across three core levers:

1. Results

Force multipliers do not micromanage. They build systems, priorities, and clarity that allow others to execute. They know that scaling results means communicating clearly about what matters most and having the discipline to stay out of the weeds. This is where scaled prioritization comes into play. Leaders must create signals and systems so teams understand what to focus on, even when they are not being directly guided.

2. Culture

Culture does not develop on its own, and it does not automatically cascade. Leaders of leaders must model and reinforce their values through coaching conversations, striving for high levels of both trust and accountability within their functions. Their actions define what leadership looks like inside their organizations, and that behavior sets the tone for their managers.

3. Alignment

Force multipliers take a broader view. They operate with an enterprise mindset, aligning their team’s goals with the needs of the business. They translate high-level directives with nuance, provide critical context, and connect the dots across departments and functions.

This lever becomes especially important during periods of change, when clarity and cohesion are essential to success.

What Makes These Skills So Difficult to Master?

Moving from a frontline manager to a force multiplier requires leaders to let go of control, build trust, and navigate the tension between business needs and human connection.

Leaders of leaders must make judgment calls daily:

• When to step in and when to step out

• How to support autonomy without losing accountability

• How to stay connected to execution without being consumed by it

These are complex decisions. They demand adaptive leadership and a nuanced understanding of organizational dynamics.

Real-World Impact: Multipliers in Action

We have seen firsthand how unlocking this mindset can transform not just individuals, but entire functions. One global tech client observed that after investing in leadership programs focused on delegation, alignment, and culture-building, their mid-level leaders were “showing up differently.” They brought clarity to chaos, surfaced cross-functional solutions, and drove higher engagement across teams.

It wasn’t that they were doing more work.

It was that they were enabling others to do the right work at the right time, with the right focus.

Want to Grow Your Force Multipliers?

At Abilitie, we designed Director Challenge specifically to help mid-level leaders build these multiplier mindsets and behaviors. It is a hands-on simulation where leaders practice real-world decision-making and reflect on how they influence results, culture, and alignment across their teams.