It’s easy to overlook potential when it doesn’t come in the package you expect.
Most leaders focus on skills gaps and performance metrics, but the real predictor of exponential growth is responsiveness. Here’s how I discovered this by accident.
The Anna Experiment
Some years ago I was told: “Anna is joining your team.”
Anna, the one people described as a plodder, not someone to expect much from. She’d been at the same level for years. That didn’t thrill me. We were understaffed, and the workload was high. So I hovered. Not because I wanted to micromanage, but because I genuinely didn’t know what I could delegate and how to best work with her.
I asked endless questions: “Where are you up to?” “What did they say about Y?” “Have you thought of doing it this way?”
Anna was probably a bit unsure of me at first. Fair enough. Turns out she was tired of being stuck and wanted to grow. So she did something smart. She paid attention to what my questions were really telling her about what mattered.
It didn’t happen overnight. Over six months, I went from hovering to handing things over completely. And I couldn’t quite believe how well it worked.
What I Discovered
Looking back, the setup was exactly what she needed to take off:
- She was ready to grow, and hungry for it.
- I saw my job as figuring out why she was stuck and how to help her succeed.
- We were working on things that mattered to the organisation.
And most importantly, she responded in ways that built my confidence in her.
Most organizations reward people who already know how to play the game. But the biggest ROI comes from those who are hungry to learn the game, if you can spot them.
What Anna Did
She built my confidence in three ways:
1. How she handled challenge
- Answered my questions respectfully, even when I asked a lot.
- Admitted when she didn’t know something.
- Owned her mistakes without excuses.
- Learned that I expected follow-through — and lifted.
2. How she managed up
- Paid attention to what I cared about most.
- Started updating me without being asked.
- Anticipated my questions because she understood how I thought.
3. How she expanded her impact
- Began factoring in other teams and collaborating directly.
- Made my job easier in ways that added up.
The Three Signals
1. Speed of response. Anna listened carefully to my questions and adjusted her approach. She was responsive. No defensive pushback. She learned fast.
2. Authentic desire for growth. She didn’t just want to keep her job, she wanted to expand her capabilities. That hunger is either there or it isn’t.
3. Right timing. Anna was ready to be challenged and developed. I had other team members who were solid, capable, but didn’t want more responsibility. The timing was wrong for them.
The diagnostic is simple: You’ll know within weeks by how they respond. How fast they learn. How often you have to repeat yourself. Whether they lean in or just comply.
The Business Case
When you unlock someone’s exponential potential, you get loyalty, reduced turnover, retained knowledge, and capability that compounds. Anna learned how to learn, and she’s still there, still a top performer .
The paradox: development resources typically flow to people who already perform well, not to those who could transform most dramatically.
Your Move
The uncomfortable question: Your best people are probably managing up better than you are. They’re reading you, anticipating your needs, making your life easier. Are you doing the same with your boss?
Here’s the blind spot: Many leaders got to where they are by learning to manage up, formally or not. But once you’re in charge, it’s easy to forget that managing up is a learned skill, not just natural instinct.
So when someone struggles, you focus on technical gaps instead of teaching the meta-skill that actually drives career acceleration.
Watch your best performer this week and notice:
- How they signal when they’re out of their depth and need your input.
- How they follow up on commitments.
- How they anticipate what you need to know.
- How they handle mistakes.
- How they lighten your load.
Those same behaviours work with your boss too. And they’re the ones to watch for in your team.
Hungry, fast learners can still be stuck if they don’t know what they’re missing. Help them see what’s possible. Then show them you believe it too.
Image from Pexels
