Unrealized potential is money that you never get to deposit in the bank.

I read an article online by Paul Kearns the other day that said, "The purpose of leadership is to realize the maximum value of human potential." (http://www.evidence-basedmanagement.com/research_practice/articles/kearns_leadership_ebm.pdf) Too often this is dismissed as soft skills or simply being nice. It has nothing to do with being nice and there is nothing easy -- or soft -- about it.



Think about it: you have a team that you manage or lead. If there is latent potential that never sees the light of day, you just left money on the table. This is like having a Royal Flush in poker, but playing as though you are simply holding cards of the same color. As a card player, you need to know how to make the most out of the hand that you were dealt.



As a leader, you need to wake up that dormant potential and find a way to draw from it. In all the manager and leader coaching that I have ever done, I have never once heard a manager say that they want to bring the performance of their team down because they are just exceeding expectations all over the place! There is almost always more performance potential locked inside of people. As a leader, your job is to provide the key.



This is a journey that the leader and follower must embark upon together. However, a person will only follow the leader if they trust the character of the leader. No trust, no sale.