The Mathematical Law of Leadership: How to Multiply People—or Divide Them
I’ve never been particularly strong with numbers. I can follow a line of reasoning well enough, but once equations start appearing, my mind has a way of quietly wandering off. Still, years ago I heard John Maxwell articulate a principle so simple that it caught my attention immediately. He said,
“If you add value to people, they multiply. But if you subtract value from people, they divide.”
At first, it sounds almost obvious—one of those statements that feels true the moment you hear it. But of course, the most obvious truths are often the ones we struggle most to live out. What Maxwell was really doing was giving contemporary language to something Scripture has been saying all along. The apostle Paul puts it this way: “You reap what you sow” (Galatians 6:7). Whatever we plant—through our words, our attitudes, our habits—will eventually bear fruit.
This is something wise leaders eventually learn. Leadership is not primarily about authority or position; it’s about influence. And influence is rarely built in dramatic moments. It is formed quietly, over time, through countless ordinary interactions. Every encounter is a seed. And sooner or later, those seeds become a harvest—for good or for ill.
The longer I’ve watched leaders, and the longer I’ve watched people being shaped by leadership, the more convinced I am that this principle sits at the very center of healthy influence.
Addition Leads to Multiplication
When you add value to someone, you’re doing more than offering encouragement. You’re making an investment. It may feel small or even insignificant in the moment, but small investments have a way of compounding.
A thoughtful word. Undivided attention. A specific acknowledgment of effort. These gestures do something subtle but profound. They soften the soil of the heart. They create room for confidence to grow and hope to take root. Many people aren’t lacking ability or motivation as much as they are lacking belief—and belief often arrives through another person before it ever becomes internal.
One mistake leaders often make is assuming people need constant praise. What they actually need is clarity. Vague encouragement rarely changes anyone. But specific affirmation—naming what someone did well and why it mattered—can be quietly transformative. Saying “Good job” is pleasant. Saying, “The way you handled that difficult moment with patience and care made a real difference,” helps someone see themselves differently.
When leaders affirm effort rather than just outcomes, they strengthen what people can actually control. And when that happens, growth no longer feels impossible—it feels attainable.
Looking back, the leaders who most shaped me weren’t necessarily the most impressive or accomplished. They were the ones who noticed me early, before much was visible. They offered consistency, belief, and guidance. Over time, those additions multiplied. Their confidence became something I slowly borrowed. Their courage began to show up in my own choices. That’s the quiet power of adding value—you rarely see all the places it will eventually reach.
Subtraction Leads to Division
Most leadership subtraction doesn’t arrive with drama or confrontation. It arrives quietly.
It shows up in tone rather than words. In rushed responses or even distracted conversations. In moments where effort goes unnoticed. These things often seem insignificant to the leader, but they can slowly drain confidence from the people being led.
There’s a reason for this: people experience your posture before they process your language. When busyness feels like indifference, trust begins to erode. And silence is almost never neutral. In the absence of affirmation, people tend to supply their own explanation—and it is usually not generous.
Over time, this kind of subtraction creates distance. People begin to hold back. They speak more cautiously. Creativity fades because safety does. Teams don’t usually fall apart in one explosive moment; they thin out gradually. What was once collaborative becomes careful. Division doesn’t begin with open conflict—it often begins with quiet discouragement.
And here’s the difficult truth: leaders don’t have to intend harm for harm to occur. Intent does not cancel impact. When people consistently feel unseen or undervalued, they disengage. And disengagement is where division takes root.
The Real Math of Leadership
In the end, this principle isn’t really about numbers at all. It’s about the presence of influence.
All of us lead someone—through our words, our tone, our attentiveness, or our absence. And whether we’re conscious of it or not, people are always paying attention. They know when value has been added. They know when something has been taken away.
Leadership isn’t finally measured by titles, platforms, or accomplishments. It’s measured by what grows—or withers—in the people around us. Add value, and life tends to multiply. Subtract value, and division quietly follows.
The math is simple. But the responsibility is weighty. And the choice is placed before us, again and again, in the smallest moments of ordinary life.