Spotting Potential Before the Title Arrives
Performance tells you how well someone delivers in their current role. Potential is about what they could grow into.
Organisations often focus on rewarding strong performance, but identifying potential requires a different perspective. The two are related, but not interchangeable. A high-performing individual contributor may not aspire to lead a team, while a quieter colleague may have capabilities that their current role doesn’t fully utilise.
Recognise the Signs of Potential
Look beyond current results and pay attention to how people approach unfamiliar challenges:
- Learning agility: How quickly do they adapt, learn new skills, and apply what they’ve learned?
- Broader judgement: Do they consider how their decisions affect the wider team or organisation?
- Influence without authority: Do colleagues seek their advice, trust their judgement, or turn to them for support?
- Response to feedback: Do they reflect on feedback and make meaningful improvements?
Potential shows up in how people handle what they haven’t done before.
Challenge Your Assumptions
It’s easy to recognise potential in people who are confident, visible, or remind us of ourselves. But these preferences can cause us to overlook individuals whose strengths are less immediately apparent.
Look for evidence of capability across different working styles and experiences. Consider whether everyone has had a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.
Create Opportunities to Grow
One of the most effective ways to assess potential is to give people opportunities beyond their usual responsibilities. Assign a stretch project with a clear outcome, provide appropriate support, and schedule regular check-ins. Afterwards, reflect together: What did they learn? What challenges did they navigate? What would they approach differently?
Identifying potential isn’t about predicting who will succeed in a future role. It’s about recognising emerging capabilities and creating opportunities for people to develop them.
Try this week
Name one person whose potential you suspect is under-used. Offer them one stretch assignment this month, and agree how you will support it.
Reflect
Who did you last describe as “not ready”, and what evidence was that based on?
Who spotted your potential early, and what did they do?
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