High-potential has long been our colloquialism in shortening future leadership material. Ambitious, capable, engaged, they check off the boxes and appear headed to the corner office.
But just the label is losing its predictive power.
"High-potential" is being questioned throughout leadership circles where being more adaptable, judgmental, and rapidly learning is getting much more of the spotlight. Trying to find tomorrow's leaders using the playbook that you used yesterday, you are positioning yourself with a costly miss.
Learn more about measuring leadership effectiveness
The Old Model Is Cracking
The Corporate Leadership Council gave us a framework:
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Aspiration
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Ability
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Engagement
It worked when business moved predictably, and leadership roles were clearly defined.
What Changed?
AI Moved from Buzzword to Business Partner
Judgment is required by leaders to question AI products, reduce biases, and make decisions where human factors have the most significant impact. Recent DDI research shows 71% of leaders are experiencing heightened stress as AI creates questions about their value.
Change Accelerated
Organizations don't manage change; they just change. Leaders who thrive on expertise have difficulty because their expertise has an expiration date.
Complexity Became Normal
Flat structures, cross-functional teams, hybrid work, and leaders must influence without authority and pivot constantly.
In this environment, traditional potential doesn't cut it.
Recommended Read : Empathy in the workplace
The New Leadership Criteria
At The Taplow Group, we're identifying leaders through a different lens:
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Learning velocity matters more than existing knowledge. Can this person absorb information quickly, unlearn outdated approaches, and apply insights across contexts?
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Adaptability trumps domain expertise. Research links adaptability and courage directly to innovation and value creation. Leaders need frameworks for navigating both planned transformations and sudden pivots.
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Judgment under uncertainty is non-negotiable. When AI provides data, but humans provide meaning, leaders must make sense of complexity while maintaining team trust.
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Human-centered capabilities are irreplaceable. Connection, empathy, creativity, and clarity keep teams engaged when algorithms handle technical work.
The Future is About Making the Leaders (Not Just Spotting)
Future leaders won't emerge organically. Organizations need a "leadership factory" approach, systematic processes turning potential talent into proven leaders at scale.
This means hiring for attitude and growth capacity. Creating internal mobility structures. Designing personalized development. Building real-time learning ecosystems.
Organizations thriving in 2026 aren't waiting to discover leaders. They're intentionally developing them.
Read more : Leadership challenges
The Bottom Line
If your leadership identification still centers on "high-potential" lists based primarily on performance and aspiration, it's time for a reset.
The leaders who'll navigate 2026's paradoxes, AI's speed versus human clarity, efficiency versus stability, require different capabilities than we've historically prioritized.
The question isn't whether your organization has potential leaders. It's whether you're identifying the right potential for the world we're actually living in.
We collaborate with organizations around the world to discover and cultivate leadership that brings about sustainable change at The Taplow Group. We have an official blend between our extensive knowledge of the industry and evidence-based practices that aim to assure you that you are creating the kind of leadership your organization requires and not simply filling vacancies.