Leaving Talent on the Table or How my coffee maker made me a better leader.
As leaders, we invest a significant amount of time and resources in the search for top talent. We carefully craft job descriptions, sift through resumes, conduct multiple rounds of interviews, and finally onboard the new hire. Even after all of that, it can take over a year before we fully see the return on investment from a new employee. But, what if I told you the best solution for your team’s growth and development probably isn’t in a stack of resumes, but rather right under your nose … or maybe just one floor down from you?
Let me share a quick story:
For years, I had a coffee maker that never quite made the coffee strong enough for my taste.
Coffee is important to me, so I started shopping for a new machine. I spent time reading reviews, comparing features, and narrowing down my choices to three high-end models. I was ready to make the purchase, convinced that a new coffee maker would finally give me the strong brew I craved.
But then, one morning just before making the purchase, I noticed something … a small button on my current coffee maker labeled “bold.”
I had never noticed it before. I pressed the button, and, to my surprise, I had the best cup of coffee I’d had in years. That little button had been there the whole time, and all I needed to do was activate it…
The same can be true for your organization.
Many of us are so focused on finding the perfect candidate outside of our organization that we overlook the potential in our existing teams. Emotionally intelligent leaders should recognize that employees in a frontline or entry-level role might have the skills, ideas, and leadership potential you’re looking for—they just haven’t had the opportunity to activate it yet.
Before you invest more time and resources searching for new talent, consider the people already in your organization. Have you truly gotten to know their strengths, aspirations, and untapped abilities? Sometimes, all it takes is pushing the right “button” to unlock someone’s full potential.
So, ask yourself: Are you leaving talent on the table? Maybe the next great leader in your organization is already here—you just need to give them the opportunity to shine.
Let’s start activating that hidden talent and change some lives.
Until next week …
Love yourself, be kind to others and not matter where you are starting from, you can finish stronger.
EB
