Your Best People Need an Advocate

I once asked a group of high-potential employees what they wanted most from their leaders. Their answers were remarkably consistent. They were ambitious and eager to lead, but they knew they couldn't get there alone. They wanted an advocate.

High-potential employees earn their opportunities. They hold themselves accountable, and they know their designation guarantees nothing. But even the most driven people need someone who will guide them, open doors and help them navigate the terrain. Without that support, momentum stalls, and the best talent quietly leaves.

That risk is higher now. Recruiters reach top performers constantly. Hybrid work makes it harder for rising talent to be seen by senior leaders. AI is reshaping the roles people are preparing for. Leaders who don't actively invest in their high potentials will lose them to organizations that do.

What I Learned on the Fast Track

Early in my career I was being groomed for an executive role. Performance expectations came from every direction: peers, senior leaders and board members, all watching my attitude, my decisions and my presence. Not everyone wanted me to succeed. I had to become far more self-aware. My job became a political tug of war in which every move was scrutinized.

I was fortunate. I had a boss who had my back. He gave me access to tools, resources and the unwritten rules, and helped me see the obstacles before I hit them. That experience is why I believe so strongly that high potentials need advocates. Here are six things they need from you.

1. Make Them Feel Valued and Respected

High potentials want to earn your respect, and they want to be seen for who they are, without bias. They expect to be fairly rewarded and never taken advantage of. Most of all, they want a transparent relationship where they can share honest opinions without appearing disloyal.

2. Sponsor Their Advancement

Sponsorship is the ultimate commitment a leader can make. It means putting your own credibility behind someone else. That is a real risk, which is why sponsorship must be earned and then sustained. Employees who receive it need to bring their best every day. Leaders who give it must also be willing to challenge their people to perform at higher levels.

3. Invest in Their Growth for the Long Term

High potentials know the difference between a token gesture and a genuine investment. My own leader supported my ongoing development, both to keep my skills aligned with the organization's needs and to show me I was valued enough to stay. When recruiters start calling, a real long-term investment is one of the strongest reasons to remain.

4. Give Them Exposure to People of Influence

Ambitious employees want a seat at the table. They need leaders confident enough to bring them into the room with their own bosses. Talent is always being evaluated, and it is hard for potential to be discovered in a high-pressure environment. The best leaders understand that showcasing their people is also a reflection of their own leadership.

5. Don't Be Threatened by Them

It is very difficult to advance under a boss who is only looking out for themselves. Leaders who feel threatened by top talent eventually become followers. Part of your job is to discover and prepare your successor. Spend your energy becoming a better leader, not protecting your position.

6. Trust Them With Real Risk

One of the most defining moments of my career came when my boss gave me full responsibility for our largest client. I was asked to negotiate the annual contract with the client's most senior executives at their headquarters. Because I had been guided well, those executives never realized they were negotiating with a 24-year-old. I walked out knowing what I was capable of. I also learned that, in the end, business comes down to earning respect from people. My boss put me in situations like that repeatedly and trusted me enough to test my capabilities. That trust shaped the leader I became. As I explored in enabling full potential, people grow when leaders let them stretch.

Questions for Leaders

• Who are the two or three people on my team with the most potential, and do they know I see it?
• When did I last put one of them in a room they could not have entered without me?
• What risk could I trust them with this quarter?
• Am I developing a successor, or quietly protecting my role?
• If a recruiter called them tomorrow, what reason would they have to stay?

Questions for High Potentials

• Have I earned sponsorship through consistent performance, or am I simply expecting it?
• Do I understand the unwritten rules of my organization?
• Whose trust would most accelerate my growth, and what am I doing to earn it?

Leaders who learn to advocate for their top talent enjoy long-term success, because the people they elevate carry their influence forward. That is the difference between managing talent and truly leading it.

Want to explore these ideas further? Learn more about my work on leadership, identity and conviction at www.theglennllopis.com.