100X Indicator – Explained

I love using various assessments and visual tools not only to help me in my journey but to help others in their journeys as well.  

Today’s tool is called the 100X Indicator and it can be used as a snapshot in time of how you’re doing. 

It has two parts. The first part is a number value on a scale from 0 to 100. Each of us can find ourself somewhere on this scale. 

The idea here is to avoid the lower levels and hopefully get an 80 or above. 

This number is really an understanding of how healthy you are as a person and a leader.  And I’m not just talking about physical health, though it includes that too.  But how healthy are in you in your spirit, mind and emotions as well?

Are you encouraged? Are you thinking clearly and completing the right kinds of projects? Are you moving forward in your life objectives? Are you seeing the fruit of your good influence on others? Are you experiencing energy and flow in your life?  We could dig into a whole host of these kinds of self-reflections to land at a number value somewhere on this scale. 

Maybe you find currently yourself at around 90%.  But, for any number of reasons, that could quickly change in the coming days or weeks.

But the real value in using this indicator is to cause us to stop and reflect where we are on it and why. 

The second part of the 100X Indicator is the mathematical sign in blue that follows the number. You’ll see in the example divide, minus, plus and multiply. 

The concept here focuses on expanding beyond knowing yourself to also being aware of what you as a leaders are spreading out into your environment. 

The same thing applies to the people on your team because we all have an outward impact on those around us even if we aren’t the “leader”. 

The idea is for you to start with knowing where you are on the indicator, as well as for you to reflect upon how where you are impacts and affects those around you. The ultimate goal in this is to be at 100 for yourself, along with the “X,” multiplying that health out into your organization. Obviously, 100% health as a leader is not likely to ever be achieved.  However, progress towards that end in an ever growing way certainly is. 100% health as a leader is a great (and necessary) aspirational goal if we are going to experience real change in our lives as well as in the life of our organization.

Now, most leaders that we run into are 60 minus/negative (-) to 75 plus (+). But we have seen leaders that are in the 40 divide (÷) category. 

The 40 divide is a toxic place from which to operate. These individuals divide. They can be like cancer in an organization. Some of you know exactly what I mean. Hopefully you don’t have very many of these in your organization, but they have deep wounds and create lots of frustrations. Usually these leaders have experienced or are experiencing some kind of great difficulty in their personal life or at work, and it’s causing them to create a toxic atmosphere for others. These are leaders who need some healing and nurture—if they are willing to receive it. Unfortunately, their journey into healing must begin with what is often a painful conversation, holding a mirror up for them to see, at least, the surface of what is going on around them so we, with their permission, can get into the interior of what is going on inside them—where the pain is. If these individuals are going to remain in your organization, they need to change.  Otherwise, they need to leave.

Typical leaders however, we find are 60 negative. They may be a little frustrated or a little apathetic. They have become jaded, which and causes cynicism to come out of them. A cynicism which leads to some really negative viewpoints. When you spend time with them that cynicism and negativity can cause you to feel “slimed.” You leave their presence feeling drained, depleted, de-energized and heavy. 60 negative is typical for a lot of people. 

The more positive is 75 plus. A 75 plus person is going to sound like, “Hey, good to see you! How are you doing? If you ever need anything, my office door is always open. Come to see me.” And they actually mean it.

A plus person is an overall positive person, but you have to go to them. They’re generally healthy and will help you if you come to them, but they’re not always the most intentional leaders. 

The most intentional leaders are the 100X leaders. 100X leaders might be 85X or more, but they are really healthy, while continuing to grow in health, and they have learned how to multiply that health out into others and into the culture of their organization. They know how to transfer. They are fighting for the highest possible good of those around them. They’re looking to help you get to the next level. They’re proactive and very intentional. 

So where have you been on the 100X Indicator? Where are you today? Are you typical, in the 60 minus to 75 plus? What would help you get to a higher level? Have you even thought about your multiplication tendencies? Are you to the point where you are just adding? What would have to happen for you to multiply? 

There are many leaders, perhaps most of them, who do not even think about multiplying themselves.  Many leaders don’t even think about mere addition, taking on someone they can mentor.  Adding is certainly better than division or subtraction in the way we are using this tool.  But what if you could actually multiply your health and influence significantly?

There are many who actually have the desire to multiply themselves, but they just don’t know how to effectively do it. 

So our challenge for you is to become a 100X leader—a leader who is pursuing health in your thinking, in your emotions, in your spirituality, in your habits, in the way you relate to your families and others, in your lifestyle in general and intentionally growing in how you lead yourself, your family, your team, and all those you lead.  And that kind of intentionality  will begin to spread out from you, multiplying your influence  wherever you are. Of course, there are other structured ways of developing and multiplying leaders, but this what we are talking about today is at the core.  

No matter where we find ourself on this 100X Indicator tool, we can always do better.