In today’s dynamic business landscape, organizations recognize the importance of identifying and developing high-potential employees who can become the future leaders of their company. However, the process of identifying individuals with the potential for leadership roles can be challenging, especially since most leaders and HR professionals confuse performance with potential. According to research conducted by Gartner only one in seven high performers are high potential and has the ability to take on greater levels of responsibility and leadership scope.
While evaluating an employee’s current performance is a tangible metric, assessing their future potential requires us to consider various factors that may not be as easily measurable.
Historically, many models and studies have focused on a narrow range of predictors to identify leadership potential, often overlooking other essential factors. Initial studies emphasized personal attributes like intelligence, attractiveness, knowledge, and adaptability as key predictors (Stogdill, 1948). Later research shifted towards personality traits such as Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience (Judge et al., 2002). While these studies provided valuable insights, they often downplayed other important predictors.
Recognizing the need for a more comprehensive approach, Silzer and Church (2009) identified seven factors that characterize high-potential employees:
• Cognitive skills such as problem-solving, tolerance of ambiguity, and strategic thinking.
• Personality traits such as dominance, stability, conscientiousness, and resilience.
• Learning abilities such as cognitive flexibility, adaptability, and openness to feedback.
• Leadership skills such as the ability to inspire others, being people-oriented, and persuasiveness.
• Motivational variables such as engagement, tenacity, and aspiration.
• Performance record.
• Knowledge and values.
Understanding the significance of these diverse predictors, Human Edge has developed the CORE™ Leadership Assessment. Built upon extensive research in leadership and a comprehensive review of organizational and industrial psychology studies, this integrated assessment offers a flexible approach to evaluating leadership potential. It provides leaders and leadership candidates with valuable feedback, highlighting their strengths and areas for further development, fostering self-awareness, and facilitating their growth as effective leaders.
The CORE™ Leadership Assessment incorporates five key dimensions of leadership potential, combining a subset of weighted scales from each dimension.
This approach allows the CORE™ leadership assessment output to provide deep insights into an individual’s current level of effectiveness and senior leadership potential. By utilizing this assessment, organizations can quickly identify individuals who have the potential to step into more senior leadership positions and whom to provide unique work experiences and leadership development experiences. This strategic tool for talent identification helps create a robust leadership pipeline, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership roles and sustaining organizational growth.
With the CORE™ Integrated Leadership Assessment, organizations gain a comprehensive understanding of their employees’ leadership potential. It empowers individuals to prepare themselves for future responsibilities, aligning their growth with organizational goals. In addition, this assessment helps leaders develop self-awareness, enabling them to leverage their strengths and address areas for improvement. According to a Korn Ferry Institute study of 486 companies over 30 months, they demonstrated that organizations with a higher percentage of self-aware leaders outperformed organizations with a lower rate. Poor-performing businesses had 20 percent more leaders with blind spots than high-performing businesses.
In conclusion, unlocking leadership potential is a vital step for organizations seeking sustained success. The CORE™ Integrated Leadership assessment offers a holistic approach to evaluating leadership potential, considering multiple-dimensions and providing valuable feedback. By implementing this leadership assessment, organizations can cultivate a strong leadership pipeline, fueling their growth and ensuring a future-ready leadership team that can predict and achieve success.
