The High–Potential Leader: How to Grow Fast, Take on New Responsibilities, and Make an Impact

"If you are a high–potential leader, or want to become one, this is the book for you."
Laszlo Bock, Senior Advisor and Former SVP of People Operations, Google

FAST–TRACK YOURSELF

"In this book, Ram provides practical advice on how high–potential leaders can help their businesses thrive in the digital age, and accelerate their own growth."
Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company

"Ram Charan shows again why he is one of the leading business coaches in the world. This book allows young leaders to benefit from the insider′s perspective Ram has accumulated throughout his career working with top CEO′s."
Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Partner, The RBL Group

"Ram Charan has developed invaluable checklists and practical tools for expanding leadership productivity, thinking ahead, and acting decisively. This is the book for High Potentials."
Michael Useem, Professor of Management and Director of the Wharton Leadership Center at the University of Pennsylvania

"Hipo" leaders have careers on a different timetable from everyone else which requires them to test themselves and build skills quickly so they are prepared to deal with the complexities of higher level jobs.

The High–Potential Leader is a step–by–step game plan everyone with great potential needs to maximize their talent at any company. Famed executive coach and thought leader Ram Charan details everything it takes to recognize hipo leadership abilities, in yourself and others, and cut your own path to the top:

Master the leadership behaviors and people skills you will use throughout your career Establish yourself as a bridge between silos in your company to enhance performance and drive innovation Acquire the mindset and techniques to confidently delegate and get results so you can stay focused on the big picture

1 High–Potential Leaders Are Crucial to Helping Businesses Adapt and Thrive in the Digital Age 1

The Urgent Need for High–Potential Leaders 1

What High Potential Means Now 2

An Important Distinction 7

Getting Hipos There Faster 8

How Hipos Can Use This Book 11

How Leadership Developers Should Use This Book 13

A Final Word 14

Tips for Hipos How to Use This Book 18

Tips for HR and Leadership Developers How to Use This Book 20

PART I Five Essential Skills for High–Potential Leaders 23

2 Increase the Return on Your Time (ROYT) 25

Get Comfortable with People Better Than You 25

Set and Reset Your Priorities 28

Customize Your Information Flow 31

Delegate and Follow Through 33

Trust But Verify 34

Decide How to Leverage Yourself 35

Create Repeatable Processes 37

Be Decisive 38

Additional Resources 43

3 Multiply the Energy and Skills of Those Around You 45

Identify a Person s God–Given Talent 46

Build Other People s Strengths 50

Make Necessary Changes Quickly 52

Manage the Intersections 53

Lead the Dialogue 56

Be a Social Architect 58

How Tony Palmer Became a Talent Magnet 60

Additional Resources 68

4 Be a Master of Big Ideas and Execution 71

Make Your Big Ideas Better 71

How to Assess Your Good Ideas 72

Getting Big Ideas Executed 76

Execution Basics 78

The Art of Asking Incisive Questions 80

A Hipo s Vision and Execution at Fingerhut 81

Additional Resources 90

5 Get to Know Customers, Competitors, and the Macro Environment 91

Observe the End–to–End Consumer Experience 92

Know the Competition 94

Dissect Ecosystems 98

See Your Business from the Outside In 100

Keep Up with Technology 103

Additional Resources 108

6 Build Your Mental Capacity 109

Widen Your Lens 109

Keep Learning 111

Build Diverse Networks 114

Seek Information from Everywhere 116

Stay Mentally Flexible 120

Additional Resources 129

PART II Taking Charge of Your Growth and Choosing Your Next Big Career Move 131

7 How, When, and Why to Make a Leap 133

The Virtue of Leaps 134

Making Leaps Without Leaving Your Company 139

Build Your Own Support System 141

Bonnie Hill s Multiple Leaps 143

Leaps Outside the Company 146

Weighing a Job Change 148

Your Exit Plan 150

Your Entrance Plan 151

Additional Resources 159

8 Track Your Mental Health and Work/Life Balance 161

Business Achievement 162

Life Satisfaction 163

Find a Meaningful Focus 168

Protect Your Mental Health 172

How Aaron Greenblatt Found His Focus 173

Additional Resources 181

PART III The Care and Feeding of High Potentials Every Organization s Precious Resource 183

9 Identifying, Recruiting, and Retaining Hipos 185

Redefi ne and Find High–Potential Leaders 186

Create Opportunities for Growth 189

Clear the Path for Hipos 192

Improve Feedback Loops 193

Refresh the Leadership Pool 196

How to Use This Book to Develop Your Organization s Hipos 197

Key Points for Talent Management Leaders 197

Additional Resources 209

Acknowledgments 211

Index 213

RAM CHARAN is an advisor to many of the world???s top CEOs and corporate boards. He is author or coauthor of twenty books, including The New York Times bestseller Execution. He has taught at Harvard Business School and GE′s John F. Welch Learning Center, and is a member of six corporate boards.

1 High-Potential Leaders Are Crucial to Helping Businesses Adapt and Thrive in the Digital Age 1 The Urgent Need for High-Potential Leaders 1 What High Potential Means Now 2 An Important Distinction 7 Getting Hipos There Faster 8 How Hipos Can Use This Book 11 How Leadership Developers Should Use This Book 13 A Final Word 14 Tips for Hipos How to Use This Book 18 Tips for HR and Leadership Developers How to Use This Book 20 PART I Five Essential Skills for High-Potential Leaders 23 2 Increase the Return on Your Time (ROYT) 25 Get Comfortable with People Better Than You 25 Set and Reset Your Priorities 28 Customize Your Information Flow 31 Delegate and Follow Through 33 Trust But Verify 34 Decide How to Leverage Yourself 35 Create Repeatable Processes 37 Be Decisive 38 Additional Resources 43 3 Multiply the Energy and Skills of Those Around You 45 Identify a Person s God-Given Talent 46 Build Other People s Strengths 50 Make Necessary Changes Quickly 52 Manage the Intersections 53 Lead the Dialogue 56 Be a Social Architect 58 How Tony Palmer Became a Talent Magnet 60 Additional Resources 68 4 Be a Master of Big Ideas and Execution 71 Make Your Big Ideas Better 71 How to Assess Your Good Ideas 72 Getting Big Ideas Executed 76 Execution Basics 78 The Art of Asking Incisive Questions 80 A Hipo s Vision and Execution at Fingerhut 81 Additional Resources 90 5 Get to Know Customers, Competitors, and the Macro Environment 91 Observe the End-to-End Consumer Experience 92 Know the Competition 94 Dissect Ecosystems 98 See Your Business from the Outside In 100 Keep Up with Technology 103 Additional Resources 108 6 Build Your Mental Capacity 109 Widen Your Lens 109 Keep Learning 111 Build Diverse Networks 114 Seek Information from Everywhere 116 Stay Mentally Flexible 120 Additional Resources 129 PART II Taking Charge of Your Growth and Choosing Your Next Big Career Move 131 7 How, When, and Why to Make a Leap 133 The Virtue of Leaps 134 Making Leaps Without Leaving Your Company 139 Build Your Own Support System 141 Bonnie Hill s Multiple Leaps 143 Leaps Outside the Company 146 Weighing a Job Change 148 Your Exit Plan 150 Your Entrance Plan 151 Additional Resources 159 8 Track Your Mental Health and Work/Life Balance 161 Business Achievement 162 Life Satisfaction 163 Find a Meaningful Focus 168 Protect Your Mental Health 172 How Aaron Greenblatt Found His Focus 173 Additional Resources 181 PART III The Care and Feeding of High Potentials Every Organization s Precious Resource 183 9 Identifying, Recruiting, and Retaining Hipos 185 Redefi ne and Find High-Potential Leaders 186 Create Opportunities for Growth 189 Clear the Path for Hipos 192 Improve Feedback Loops 193 Refresh the Leadership Pool 196 How to Use This Book to Develop Your Organization s Hipos 197 Key Points for Talent Management Leaders 197 Additional Resources 209 Acknowledgments 211 Index 213