High potential leaders, or HiPos as they are sometimes called, are individual contributors or managers who could perform successfully in leadership roles that are one to two levels above their current roles, ideally over the next two to five years. Performance appraisal analysis suggests that 30% of current high performing managers are also high potentials leaders, but the actual figure, we find is closer to 20% or less. Making the right HiPo selection decisions at the beginning of the process is critical to long term success in managing a strong leadership talent pipeline.

High potential candidates can be front line managers, middle managers and functional leaders. Some companies with specialities like engineering and research also maintain a HiPo Specialist Track alongside the HiPo career track for general managers.