In the world of leadership coaching, I often see leaders who are exhausted. Why? Because they are trying to do it all by leading followers. In John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Law #20 is the Law of Explosive Growth.
The secret to scaling your impact isn’t just about working harder or hiring more people; it’s about who you are leading. The law states: To add growth, lead followers—to multiply, lead leaders. When you develop a follower, you help one person. When you develop a leader, you influence everyone that leader touches.
Leader’s Math: Addition vs. Multiplication
Maxwell breaks down the math of explosive growth like this:
- Leaders who develop followers grow their organization one person at a time. (Addition)
- Leaders who develop leaders multiply their growth. (Multiplication)
- Leaders who develop leaders find the “top 20%” of their people and invest in them. This requires a different mindset, a different skill set, and a much higher level of intentionality.
Are You a Multiplier? (A Quick Self-Assessment)
Moving from addition to multiplication is the hardest shift a leader can make. Score each statement using the scale below:
| Score | Description |
| 1 | Never / Not at all |
| 2 | Rarely / Needs significant work |
| 3 | Sometimes / Average |
| 4 | Often / Above average |
| 5 | Consistently / A core strength |
- [ ] Investing in the Best: I spend 80% of my mentoring time with the top 20% of my producers/leaders rather than the bottom 20%.
- [ ] Delegation of Authority: I don’t just delegate tasks; I delegate the authority to make decisions.
- [ ] Successor Mindset: I am actively identifying and training someone who could do my job better than I can.
- [ ] Cultivating Growth: My organization is known as a place where leaders are “made,” not just where work gets done.
- [ ] Releasing Control: I am comfortable with other leaders doing things differently than I would, as long as they get the results.
Your Score:
- 20-25: You are a Multiplier. You are on the path to explosive growth.
- 15-19: You are a good leader, but you might be “follower-focused.” Let’s shift your investment strategy.
- Under 15: You are likely the bottleneck of your own growth. It’s time to start leading leaders.
Why Explosive Growth is Rare
As a coach, I see that leaders struggle with this law because it requires Security.
- The Insecure Leader: They fear that if they develop a “star,” that person might take their job or leave.
- The “Busy” Leader: It takes more time to develop a leader than it does to just give a follower a task. They choose short-term speed over long-term scale.
How We Multiply Your Impact Together
Leading leaders requires a sophisticated approach to coaching. Here is how we partner to achieve explosive growth:
- The Talent Audit: We’ll identify the “high-potentials” in your circle who are ready to be moved from followers to leaders.
- Mentorship Frameworks: I’ll help you design a system for investing in your top people so that your influence cascades through the entire organization.
- The Empowerment Shift: We work on the psychological shift of letting go, helping you find security in being the “leader of leaders.”
“If you develop yourself, you can experience personal success. If you develop a team, your organization can experience growth. If you develop leaders, your organization can experience explosive growth.” — John Maxwell
Ready to Start Multiplying?
Don’t settle for addition when multiplication is within reach.
- The Talent Strategy Session (90-Minute Intensive): We’ll identify your top 3 potential leaders and create a 90-day development plan for them.
- The Multiplier Program (3-Month Coaching): We focus on your transition from managing followers to coaching and empowering your inner circle of leaders.
- The Executive Legacy Retainer: For leaders at the top who want to ensure their organization thrives for generations by building a “leadership factory.”
Click HERE to schedule your Discovery Call.
Coming Up Next…
Growth is amazing, but what remains when you are gone? In our final post of the series, we look at the ultimate test of leadership: Law #21: The Law of Legacy.