How to Spot — and Develop — High-Potential Talent in Your Organization | Harvard Business Review

According to The Conference Board report, C-suite Outlook 2022: Reset and Reimagine, developing the next generation of leaders is a top-five internal priority for CEOs globally. And while identifying and developing future leaders has been a perennial priority for most CEOs, many of them report how new workplace challenges and complexities have placed increased importance on this priority. This new HBR article presents a model anchored in three observable and measurable behaviors that indicate individuals’ ability to grow and handle increased complexity in new roles. 1) Cognitive quotient (CQ): how they leverage their intellect. 2) Drive quotient (DQ): what motivates them and how they apply their energy. 3) Emotional quotient (EQ): how they interact with those around them. While these markers are rooted in intellect, motivations, and interpersonal style, the authors argue that they don’t provide raw measures of these qualities, as personality tests and other tools often try to do. Instead, they capture how people use these qualities on the job, and together, they give organizations a concrete, objective way to gauge leadership potential, regardless of candidates’ depth of experience. Ideas are discussed for how organizations can introduce this model into their talent processes. For one of the most comprehensive and well-researched models on high-potential – check out Rob Silzer’s and Allan Church’s book chapter—Identifying and Assessing High-Potential Talent: Current Organization Practices — in Strategy-Driven Talent Management. You can also check out a previous round-up post  I made on three articles from Marc Effron (The Talent Strategy Group) related to this topic. They include: 1) Potential After the Pandemic, 2) Rethinking Potential: Should We Search for Hidden Gems, Shy-Po’s and Repressed Performers? 3) Six Steps to Great Talent Reviews