To better understand the leadership challenges and development opportunities facing high-potential employees, researchers analysed more than 3,000 applications to Harvard Business School’s High Potentials Leadership Program over a nearly 20-year period. The high-potentials themselves identified five consistent leadership challenges: leading teams, leading change, leadership style, leading at scale, and driving business results, and their sponsors identified six areas of development: strategic management, emotional intelligence, communication, leading at scale, leading teams, and relationship management.

One of your core responsibilities as a manager is to develop the next generation of leaders. How can you help your superstar employees fulfill their potential? Here are three strategies.

1.     Measure their progress against key leadership competencies. These include team management, relationship building, and communication. Identify where your high potentials are already strong and where they can continue to grow.

2.     Help them boost their emotional intelligence. Specifically, focus on their self-awareness and empathy. Self-awareness can be learned through feedback and assessments, and empathy can be developed by focusing on inquiry, practicing active listening, and acknowledging different perspectives.

3.     Encourage a learning mindset. Becoming a leader requires growth beyond technical expertise. Encourage development of contextual intelligence: the ability to understand and operate in multiple contexts and adapt one’s style and approach accordingly. This means nudging high potentials to work and learn outside of their comfort zone.

While high potentials have been recognized for their results-orientation and work ethic, the next step in their leadership journey will depend on their ability to work with and through others. That success will come from a heightened focus on emotional intelligence, communication, and relationship management. To ensure the success of their high potentials, managers and organizations must provide coaching, developmental support, and stretch opportunities, and high potentials must embrace them with an open and learning-oriented mindset.

Do you work with your superstars?

Have you identified your superstars in the company?

Mayo, J. A. (2023, March). How to Help Superstar Employees Fulfill Their Potential. Harvard Business Review.