You're grooming a high-potential employee for leadership. How do you set them up for success?

Assess abilities across key leadership dimensions—Leading Self (self-awareness and personal growth), Leading Others (team management and influence), and Leading Performance (driving results and achieving objectives). Alignment: Align their responsibilities with their strengths while incorporating a Zoom In/Zoom Out approach, honing their ability to switch between operational and strategic thinking. Gaps: Identify and address any gaps with focused training, mentorship, or challenging assignments Feedback : Establish a continuous feedback loop to encourage reflection & adaptive learning Exposure: Gradually involve them in higher-stakes decisions and complex organizational challenges, building their readiness for senior leadership roles.

As they have been identified as 'HiPos', it can be assumed that they have technical/ domain expertise and the potential to up these. Areas that need attention are their Executive Presence, Interpersonal skills, Business/Market Intelligence, Ability to Influence and Manage Conflicts. It is a combination of Right-brain and Left-brain. As a leader, it is important to be having an ear to the ground. The need to reflect and learn, ensures their growth as an individual, a role model for others needs them to invest time on themselves. Having a Mentor helps them to get Feedback, as they need to learn how to take tough decisions in critical times. A Mentor can be their sounding board! Leadership is a journey; it needs commitment and accountability.

Start by thoroughly assessing your employee’s strengths. Look beyond their technical skills to also consider their interpersonal qualities, like communication and emotional intelligence. Understanding where they shine allows you to tailor development opportunities that play to their strengths. I’ve found that focusing on what they excel at makes their transition into leadership much smoother and more natural.

Directly expose the developing leader to contexts, people, problems and environments they'll need to understand as they advance. Too many leaders are under-prepared because they don't have the access, visibility into, and appreciation for what they don't naturally experience in their current roles.

In my experience, grooming high-potential talent for upward mobility starts with strong mentorship from senior employees, who provide invaluable guidance and industry insights. Pairing emerging leaders with experienced mentors helps them navigate their career paths and develop essential skills. Coupled with this, offer honest, open feedback focused on specific development opportunities. Highlight performance gaps and provide clear, actionable steps to address them. This approach not only fosters personal growth but also demonstrates your commitment to their advancement, preparing them for future leadership roles and strengthening your organization's talent pipeline.

First up, don't EVER say you're grooming someone😂 Empowering ✅ Developing ✅ Scaffolding their development? Sure, that works too. ✅ Now put yourself in the shoes of the learner. Do you understand their goals and motivations? How can you accelerate their development? Whatever you do, put them at the centre and you'll be amazed at how much you learn as well. After all, Leadership is a two way street

Mentorship plays a crucial role in leadership development. Pair your high-potential employee with an experienced leader in your organization. A good mentor can offer valuable insights, share their experiences, and provide guidance to help the mentee navigate leadership challenges. From my experience, this relationship not only accelerates their growth but also boosts their confidence as they transition into their new role.

If they truly have potential then your major task is to get out of the way.............they must realise their potential for themselves not have it parcelled out to them in packages designed by others - that simply teaches them to follow..........

In my experience, identifying and mentoring high-potential employees starts with recognizing their natural leadership qualities—initiative, resilience, and the ability to lead others. Over the years, I’ve found that the key to grooming them for leadership is consistent guidance and providing opportunities for them to take ownership of projects. Regular one-on-one mentoring, helping them with their decision-making skills while nurturing their growth mindset. Empowering them with trust and responsibility is essential to setting them up for long-term success.

Mentoring high-potential employees for leadership roles is crucial for fostering future thought leaders who drive innovation and growth. By guiding them through skill development and strategic thinking, upper management will ensure they’re prepared to tackle complex challenges and inspire team members effectively. Setting them up for success by investing in their growth early benefits the entire organization. Moreover, it will reduce attrition within their new teams and create synergies within your employee population.

Using a benchmark of 70% on the job, 20% coaching and mentoring and 10% formal leadership training can be a helpful start to identify what activities will contribute to someone's development. Looking at what Leadership means to the culture of the organisation and how this will be impacted by industry and technological changes will help to guide where the development is headed. Reviewing the plan every 2-3 years should suffice as there are significant evolutions taking place which make the leadership training and development more beneficial.

Leadership training for high potentials may be structured under immediate, medium-term and long-term interventions. Immediate interventions may include chairing meetings and presentations. Examples of medium-term are coaching and mentoring, project management, holiday cover or branch transfers. Skills such as strategic thinking, decision-making, emotional intelligence are long-term. They may require formal or informal interventions such as courses or certifications because these skills are not easy to evaluate. Providing training, transfer of learning opportunities and managerial support are vital in development, they keep the candidate motivated. It is important to consider the 70-20-10 rule in learning and development.

I absolutely agree! Leadership development and coaching is essential for individual contributors before they’re promoted into leadership roles. It equips them with mission-critical skills like strategic thinking, people management, crucial conversations, and effective communication. This ensures that they’re prepared to lead with confidence and drive success from the start. Investing in their development benefits both the individuals and the organization, since even the most confident high-potentials “don’t know what they don’t know.”

Don't forget "soft" skills. This person has probably been defined as "high potential" because of their ability to get things done in their current role. That ability has a limited ceiling--it can be raised only so much by further polishing of job related skills or expansion to related skill sets. That ceiling can be raised profoundly, though, through developing less tangible traits like courage, resiliency, curiosity, persistence, genuine concern for others, etc. Make sure that their leadership development opportunities give them the chance to demonstrate and hone these attributes.

1. Build trust. Be their champion and openly express your belief in their potential. Ensure they want to grow and are ready for the opportunity. 2. Provide opportunities. Give them more responsibility and involve them in decision-making. Allow them to solve problems independently to assess their managerial capabilities. Remember, grooming potential leaders benefits succession planning, employee engagement, and company culture.

◼️Encourage Innovation and Initiative: Empower your future leader to think creatively and take initiative. Encourage them to propose new ideas and solutions, fostering an environment where experimentation is welcomed. This not only builds confidence but also helps them develop a proactive mindset, essential for effective leadership. By supporting their innovative efforts, you prepare them to drive positive change and inspire others. 💡We can place this section after "Hands-On Experience" to emphasize the importance of innovation alongside practical learning.

Let them practice decision-making. They may not make the same decisions you would - which is okay - encourage them to think through for themselves. Try the non-directive coaching approach and debrief to help them articulate their thinking process and the decisions they made.

Over the years, I've learned that sometimes, when I've considered a person to be "high-potential", others do not share the same view. Therefore, I think it important to have "high-potential" people go through a 360-degree feedback process. This will enable both the person and yourself to validate your view of the person. This may just be the best "gift" you could give this person, and your organization, as it is quite possible that your view of the person may not be shared by their peers or subordinates. By doing such an evaluation, the individual may just about the behaviors that they need to modify to be most successful version of themselves that they can be. The individual, the organization and co-workers will all benefit.

Theory is indeed a great start, however hands-on experience is where real growth happens. Let your high-potential employee lead projects or teams to put their training into practice. This gives them a chance to experience the highs and lows of leadership in a supportive setting. It’s a practical way to build their skills and confidence as they prepare for bigger roles.

Set up a strong feedback system with regular check-ins and performance reviews. Include 360-degree feedback from peers, subordinates, and superiors. This ongoing feedback helps your future leader fine-tune their approach and grow in a way that really connects with their team.

Creating a psychologically safe environment around them is critical to receiving feedback that will support their development. Most of the time, high potentials receive this vital information too late on their journey and so by then significant damage around their skill and knowledge, motivation and drive and cultural alignment have already been experienced. Develop a 'feedforward community' around you as a high potential that will give real time feedback on what you need to 'keep' and 'start' doing. Check in on them proactively, don't wait for them to come to you - remember everyone is busy. You don't need formal 360's or performance management systems to know you're on track if you've developed informal bridges to that information.

Estabelecer um mecanismo de feedback robusto é essencial para o desenvolvimento contínuo de futuros líderes. Complementar os check-ins regulares com avaliações 360 graus garante uma visão abrangente de suas habilidades e áreas de melhoria. Esse feedback multifacetado não só ajuda a alinhar o desempenho às expectativas organizacionais, mas também permite que o líder em desenvolvimento ajuste seu estilo de forma mais precisa e eficaz. Ao incorporar essas práticas, você promove um ambiente de crescimento contínuo e alinhamento estratégico, essencial para o sucesso da liderança.

📌 Provide consistent, constructive feedback on their performance, focusing on both strengths and areas for improvement. 📌 Encourage them to seek input from peers and mentors, creating a culture of continuous learning. 📌 Make feedback a two-way street, where they also share their insights and challenges. This ongoing dialogue helps them refine their leadership skills, build self-awareness, and adapt quickly. By creating a robust feedback loop, you set them up to grow into a confident and effective leader.

Too many organizations overlook the importance of evaluating individual contributors for cultural fit before promoting them to leadership positions. This important process is key to maintaining a cohesive team that can collaborate well and optimize performance. Ensuring they align with the organization's values and culture helps them lead effectively, foster positive team dynamics, and drive sustainable success. The key is to first develop a coaching culture with C-suite buy-in and support.

To manage tasks you don’t need a leader. A leader is a person that makes others great and helps them grown. As Simon Sinek says “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge”.

To ensure that a high-potential employee is a good cultural fit for the organization, I would take several steps: 1. Assess cultural alignment during selection process 2. Provide insight into organization's culture 3. Encourage cultural immersion 4. Encourage employee to seek feedback from peers and leaders to understand how well they are integrating into the culture and where adjustments might be needed. 5. Monitor fit over time 6. Pair employee with a mentor 7. Facilitate reflection on their experiences and feelings about the culture, helping them to identify areas of strong fit and areas where they may need to adapt.

Leadership is not just about skills and experience; it’s also about aligning with the organizational culture. High-potential employees should be groomed to not only lead but also to embody the values and ethos of the company. Understanding and internalizing the culture ensures that their leadership style is consistent with the organization’s goals and mission. To achieve this, immerse them in the company’s culture through cross-departmental projects, participation in cultural initiatives, and exposure to the company’s history and values. A strong cultural fit ensures that future leaders can inspire their teams and drive the organization forward in a cohesive and aligned manner.

Ensure your high-potential employee understands and embodies the company culture. Leadership goes beyond managing tasks—it's about upholding values and setting an example for others. A leader who aligns with the culture fosters a positive work environment and drives engagement, which is crucial for long-term success.