Since 2007, The Roundtable has focused on high potential, emerging and mid-career leadership talent. For nearly two decades now, we have had the privilege of sitting in on unfiltered conversations with top leaders in our group and one-to-one coaching programs. We have listened to their ambitions, their frustrations, their challenges. We’ve witnessed laughter, tears and the toll that crushing pressure can take. We’ve watched these leaders successfully navigate disappointments and grow exponentially through a dedication to deeper learning, supported by or despite their managers and senior leaders.
We’ve learned a lot about the roles of senior leaders and talent professionals in enabling the success of this key group of leadership talent. We’ve seen what’s worked, and we’ve seen where involuntary turnover could have been avoided. We’ve seen what happens when red flags are ignored, and the momentum gained when greater alignment and understanding are cultivated.
On January 22, we will release the results of our first-ever original research study on high potential leaders. Unlike many leadership research projects, what makes The Roundtable Report on High Potential Leaders unique is that all the survey respondents have been vetted by their organizations as being key talent. Each one was specifically selected by their companies to participate in one of The Roundtable’s targeted group or individual coaching programs designed exclusively for high potentials. It is from that pool of The Roundtable program alumni that we have gathered survey responses.
Whether you term them key talent, high potentials, top performers or ‘A’ players, these leaders represent the ‘best and brightest’ in their respective companies. They are the individuals who contribute exponentially more than their peers; who can be counted on to deliver results, no matter the circumstances; who are fast-tracked and relied on within the organization to be role models of culture and ready to take on greater scope and responsibility.
Jack Welch, venerated former CEO of General Electric, once said that the difference between (what he termed) A Players and other leaders is that they simply ‘care a little bit more’.
After dedicating the last 27 years of my own career to working with high potential talent, I couldn’t agree more. Caring more is often both the blessing and the curse of the high potential leader: they are ambitious and driven, love to win and want to always deliver what they promise. It’s hard – some might say impossible — for a Hi-Po to back away from a challenge. It’s tough for key talent to live within boundaries and to lower their ambitions. Burnout for this segment is very real. And as the demands on organizations continue to ramp up, what we are noticing is that their ability to sustain the pressure is becoming unmanageable.
Over the last 18 years, we’ve seen more and more of these up-and-coming leaders begin to opt out of leadership. You only have to look at the world stage to see the number of CEOs, senior executives and country leaders who have bowed out of critical roles, citing a need to focus on family, health or other aspects of their lives. The pressure on leaders today is exponential. And the pressure that is placed on those in the middle of the organization who we rely on to drive execution has become increasingly unrelenting.
In The Roundtable Report, we’re going to share key insights about the top challenges high potential leaders are facing today, what they want ‘more of’ from their executives and what they have a hard time talking with their managers about.
Our goal is to equip senior leaders and talent professionals with insights, actions and future strategies to support you in supporting this high value group of employees.
We know that when we raise the performance and impact of our top talent, they, in turn, will increase the performance of those who work with and for them. We also know that we need to think differently about how we grow and support these high value leaders in a world of relentless change.
Register now to join our complimentary webinar . Hear highlights of what we’ve learned about what’s on the minds of high potential talent and some of the nuances and trends that we’re observing. You can also sign up to have The Roundtable Report on High Potential Leaders delivered directly to your in basket. We look forward to exploring our findings with you.
