How to See Hidden Potential in the People You Lead
People are a lot like icebergs. What you see above the surface is only part of what is there. Underneath may be potential they have not discovered yet.
See hidden potential in people by looking past their current role and resume to their traits, curiosity and how they treat others; asking what they want and what they have never been asked to try; noticing who others go to for help; giving small stretch opportunities; and asking twice when a capable person says no. Often the potential is already on your team, waiting for someone to notice.
People are a lot like icebergs. What we see above the surface is only part of what is there. Underneath, there may be strengths, interests and potential that nobody has noticed yet, sometimes not even the person themselves.
In a survey for my book, 92% of people said they are capable of more than they are doing today. That means most of the people on your team believe there is more under the surface. The question is whether anyone is looking.
Look past the role
A job description tells you what someone does, not what they could do. Some of the best people I have hired or promoted had little experience that matched the role. What they had were the right traits: humility, drive, emotional intelligence and integrity. We can train experience, but you cannot necessarily train traits. See How to Hire for Traits Over Experience.
Signs of potential below the surface
- People go to them for help. Even when it is not their job.
- They ask good questions. Curiosity is one of the strongest predictors of growth.
- They do more than the role requires. Quietly and consistently.
- They make others better. The team works differently when they are there.
- They learn fast. New tasks do not stay new for long.
Ask twice
A woman on one of our teams worked in credentialing. She was sharp, dependable and doing more than her role required, so when a sales opening came up, I told her she should apply. She said no, because she did not think she was ready. It took several conversations, and a specific promise about training and support, before she applied. She went on to win awards for her sales performance. If I had accepted the first no, I never would have known. A first no from someone good is usually fear, not a decision. I wrote about this in Inc.
Tell them what you see
Sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can do is simply say it out loud: “I see more in you than this role.” People often do not discover their own potential until someone else names it. See The Words You Forget, Your People Remember.
Finding the capability already inside an organization is a theme of my signature keynote, You Are Capable of More, and my leadership workshop, You Are Capable of More: Leadership. See also Inc.: The Difference Between Self-Doubt and Lack of Ambition.
People are like icebergs; most of their potential sits below the surface. Look past the role to traits and curiosity, notice who others go to, offer small stretch opportunities, ask twice when a capable person says no and tell them what you see.
Frequently asked questions
How do you identify potential in employees?
Why don’t employees show their full potential?
What should a manager do if a capable employee turns down an opportunity?
Can potential be more important than experience?
You Are Capable of More
A No-Excuses Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. The bestselling book behind Chris’s keynotes and the 2026 Paris Book Festival winner in the How-To category. Many teams hand a copy to every seller at their kickoff.
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Chris Sund speaks on this in You Are Capable of More and You Are Capable of More: Leadership, for conferences, leadership teams and company meetings.
All Leadership Articles · In Inc.: The Difference Between Self-Doubt and Lack of Ambition · In CEO Weekly: Ready Before They Believe It
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