From Potential to Performance: Why Rising Stars Don’t Just Happen
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 8
Have you ever had someone on your team who you just know could develop further — not just in technical skills, but as a possible future leader?
The gap between a “promising talent” and a “rising star” is rarely about technical ability alone. It’s about mindset, structure, and the right support. And without that support, even the most gifted employees can plateau — or worse, leave your organization.
I’ve seen this play out many times in my 25 years of working with leaders at companies such as Rituals, Volvo, and Lego. One story stands out.
A technically brilliant professional I coached was once described by his manager as “high potential, but not ready yet.” He had strong skills but often stayed silent in meetings, invisible to decision-makers. Six months later, that same person was leading a cross-functional project, influencing senior leaders, and had already earned a promotion.
Stories like this are not exceptions — they’re what happens when promising talent gets the right structure and mindset support. If you’re curious how this could look in your organization, let’s connect.
Why High Potentials Don’t Always Perform
Organizations invest millions in attracting top talent, but potential does not automatically equal performance. Without targeted development, high potentials risk becoming frustrated, disengaged, or leaving altogether.
Replacing a single professional can easily cost €50,000–€80,000 when you factor in recruitment, onboarding, and lost productivity. But the real loss is in missed opportunity: the leader they could have become within your organization.
That’s why forward-looking organizations are focusing not just on retention, but on building pipelines of confident, capable leaders who already understand their culture, strategy, and people.
The STARS Framework: Turning Talents Into Leaders
At Brighter Leaders, we developed the STARS Program to help high potentials transition into rising stars. It’s a structured journey, rooted in neuroscience, coaching, and practical leadership tools.
STARS stands for:
Self-leadership – Clarity on values, strengths, and blind spots. Without this, no one can lead others effectively.
Time & Energy Mastery – Building sustainable habits that keep talents focused on high-value work instead of drowning in tasks.
Attunement – Developing emotional intelligence, trust, and communication skills that elevate team performance.
Resilience – Equipping leaders to handle change, setbacks, and pressure without losing perspective.
Strategic Impact – Helping talents lift their eyes from today’s tasks to tomorrow’s opportunities.
The transformation is not theoretical. As one CHRO told me:
“This is the first program where I’ve seen tangible changes within weeks — not just nice words on a development plan.”
The Call to Executives and HR Directors
So here’s the real question: Who on your team right now has the potential to shine — and could do so with the right support?
When you invest in rising talents, you don’t just shape their careers. You strengthen your entire organization’s future performance.
High potentials don’t become high performers by accident — they become rising stars when we choose to invest in them. If building your future leadership pipeline is on your mind, reach out today. I’d be glad to share practical insights from 30+ industries and walk you through the STARS Reflection Tool you can start using immediately.
Potential is everywhere. Rising stars are made when we choose to invest in them.
Lizzie Claesson is a high-performance coach, author of From Suffering to Surfing and Performance Alchemy, and founder of Brighter Leaders.
👉 Learn more at www.brighterleaders.com