That’s backward.

Leadership development doesn’t begin with a search firm. It begins with disciplined attention to the people
already on your payroll.

In most organizations, there is far more leadership talent than anyone realizes. The problem isn’t scarcity.
The problem is visibility.

Stop Confusing Performance with Potential

Too many companies promote the best technician, the longest-tenured employee, or the most visible personality.

That’s not leadership development. That’s guesswork.

Leadership potential shows up in behavior:

• Who consistently takes ownership without being asked?
• Who solves problems before they escalate?
• Who do others trust when the stakes are high?
• Who makes the people around them better?

If you are not systematically identifying these behaviors, you are overlooking your future leaders.

Start with Transferable Skills

People are bigger than their job descriptions.

A strong analyst may be an exceptional coach. A frontline supervisor may think more strategically than the
executives above them. A project manager may have the judgment and temperament required for senior leadership.

But unless you deliberately inventory transferable skills, those strengths stay buried.

Leadership development starts with asking better questions:

• What does this person do well beyond their formal role?
• Where have they demonstrated initiative and follow-through?
• When given stretch responsibility, how did they respond?

Potential reveals itself under real responsibility.

Measure the Managers Who Build Other Leaders

Here’s a simple truth: strong leaders create stronger teams.

If you want to find your future leaders, look at the managers who consistently:

• Improve performance
• Increase retention
• Build engagement
• Develop people who get promoted

That’s not accidental. That’s leadership behavior.

Instead of evaluating managers solely on results, evaluate how they achieve those results.
Those who grow talent are your most valuable leadership assets.

Define Leadership So It’s Observable

Most companies talk about “leadership presence” or “executive readiness” as if they are personality traits.

They are not.

Leadership is behavior. It’s judgment. It’s accountability. It’s communication under pressure.
It’s the ability to align people around priorities and follow through.

If you define those competencies clearly, you can see them clearly. If you leave them vague, you will default
to bias and politics.

Clarity creates opportunity.

Leadership Development Is Daily Work

• Leadership development is not a program. It is a management discipline.
• It happens in regular one-on-ones.
• It happens when managers delegate real responsibility.
• It happens when performance conversations are candid and specific.
• It happens when high-potential employees are given stretch assignments with support and accountability.
• In a tight labor market, organizations that build leaders internally have a decisive advantage.
  They don’t scramble when roles open. They don’t overpay for external talent. They don’t lose strong performers
  who feel overlooked.

The leadership talent you need is probably already working for you.

The question is simple:

Are your managers paying attention?