Bosses: Our Best and Brightest Also More Apt to Fail

High Potential and High Risk: Research from Personnel Decisions International, a Minneapolis-based HR consulting firm that specializes in leadership development, reports that 27 percent of “high-potential” people—those who excel in their jobs and win praise from their bosses—also are pegged by those same bosses as “having a high risk of derailment” in their careers unless they receive consistent coaching. Drive, ambition and the ability to surmount obstacles—traits that help high-potential employees excel—also may alienate them from colleagues and other employees. The study examined 510 midlevel managers and found that 109 were identified by their bosses as possessing the goods to be senior-level leaders. However, one in four among this group are identified as being at risk of not living up to their potential—possibly resulting in job loss or demotion.