Developing leaders is critical but choosing who should take the high-potential fast track is tricky. Strategies for identifying high-potential employees – HIPOs – include recruiting bright, young things, monitoring long-term performance and cherry-picking smart outsiders to groom as the company’s next leaders. But what happens to the 90% of employees who aren’t hit with the HIPO stick? Research suggests a broader approach may be more beneficial – and Australian companies are listening.