Fostering the Right Environment for High-Potential Employees

Got a high-potential team member who’s ready for more? Get the environment right and coach them hard. This is when career trajectories really change - fast. Here’s how I help product managers (and other tech leads) step up, own bigger roles, and fuel momentum across SaaS and marketplace teams.

Stop Hoping - Start Building Environments That Unlock Talent

Every company’s got “that person.” Bright, quick on the uptake. They’re already moving faster than their peers, seeing what’s next, sniffing out problems before anyone asks. You want them to become the leader they can be. Here’s the hitch - most orgs just wait and hope these folks magically transform into execs. Or worse, you hand them a promotion, toss them the keys, and call it growth.

Let me cut to it: “Potential” doesn't mean much without the right soil. As leaders, we create or destroy that soil every day. The good news? This isn’t about huge HR programs, expensive offsites, or mystery “high-potential” lists. It’s about deliberate moves - every week - to make sure your up-and-comers have the space, trust, and feedback to actually stretch. I’ve watched this flip people into a higher gear.

The biggest unlock is coaching - real, gritty, non-performative coaching - and de-risking the first jumps into more responsibility. That’s how high-potentials stop hovering at the edge and actually take the leap.

From “Helper” to Driver: The Crucial Shift

Let’s get practical. Most high-potentials grow up as the go-to fixer or team helper. Everybody loves them. But staying the team’s star utility player isn’t the same as leading. The tough transition? Shifting from supporting work (filling gaps, solving details, hustling everywhere) to driving business outcomes that matter.

I see this with product managers all the time. Maybe they’re “senior” but still acting like power contributors instead of decision-makers. Or, the org is just glad not to worry about their lane, so they let them run quietly. That’s a recipe for talent to plateau.

Here’s what to watch for:

• Do they ask hard questions in meetings?
• Are they setting priorities for others (not just themselves)?
• When things go wrong, do they blame up or down - or own the outcome?
• Do they have agency to say “No” or change direction, and do they use it?

My rule of thumb: If everyone’s happy and nothing’s breaking, they’re probably not stretching yet. True development feels a bit uncomfortable - like picking up weight that’s just a tad heavier than you want.

What Does “Coaching” Actually Look Like?

Let’s demystify coaching. This isn’t about performance reviews or “feedback Fridays.” And it’s not therapy. Real coaching inside a fast-moving product team means:

• Asking direct questions, not leading ones.
• Celebrating risk-taking and clear bets - even when some flop.
• Debriefing misses, not just wins, openly.
• Steering people toward bigger uncertainty, then backing them up when they stumble.
• Sharing your mental models so they see how you think, not just what you think.

For example: When I coach PMs who are ready for stretch roles, I’ll sit in on how they run roadmap reviews, challenge their rationale, or have them present tough tradeoffs to execs. Sometimes we do role plays of “saying No” to a favorite stakeholder. We talk through call-and-response scenarios. None of this is fluffy - it’s basic exposure therapy for the next level.

How do you make this work? You create a rhythm of candid check-ins, use work in progress as the curriculum, and always set the bar half a notch higher than they expect.

You want more specifics? Look at how candid debriefs build trust and self-awareness - and don’t make your “high potentials” guess what you really think.

Practical Strategies to Shape the Environment

Now, let’s get actionable. Here’s how to shape an environment where high-potential folks actually grow - without burning out or stalling.

Move from “project” to “problem” ownership

Give them a real slice of the business, not just a list of deliverables. “Run this feature” is different from “own this metric.” When I helped shape product org structure at SaaS companies, we assigned each high-potential PM a metric or problem space - acquisition, retention, conversion, etc. Suddenly, quarterly planning was their responsibility. They felt the heat, but had room to shape the path. Check out my deeper dive on structuring product orgs for real accountability.

Normalize real risk-taking

Don’t reward only safe execution. If nobody’s ever rolling out a wild experiment, your “builders” are getting bored. Nab a regular spot in your stand-ups or retros to highlight bets that didn’t pay off - these are growth moments, not black marks. At Ubiqi Health, we talked more about flops than wins in early growth cycles - read the full story for the inside lessons.

Coach in public, but support in private

When high-potentials strain, call it out with the team - frame it as guts, not a goof. Then, behind closed doors, dig into lessons or challenges. The balance of visibility and psychological safety is critical. I learned this the hard way leading teams through messy growth sprints; the ones who felt seen improved fastest.

Explicitly signal “now’s your window”

High-potentials need unmistakable cues. Tell them straight up: “You’re ready to take on more.” Pair that with a new challenge and clarity around what a step-up looks like. Set new expectations and check in on progress regularly. Great leaders hand over the wheel, not just advice.

Tie new responsibility to business outcomes

Promotions or big new projects should come with measurable stakes. Sprinkle in coaching as they move - the feedback flywheel keeps them accelerating. Otherwise, people step up, feel only pressure, and drop back down. Keep outcome reviews regular and honest.

Let them stumble, then debrief - without rescuing

This is real: Growth comes from missteps. I coached an A-player PM who fumbled an integration launch with a big partner. Instead of swooping in, I let them sweat through the recovery - and led a post-mortem where they ran the call. What happened next? Confidence, and a new playbook. Team saw it too.

Build access to other leaders (and high-stakes rooms)

Your rising stars need access. Invite them to join VP-level forums, prep them for board updates, and loop them into cross-team planning. The exposure to real stakes and rapid fire decisions develops pattern recognition and strategic muscle.

How Coaching Shows up in My Work

I spend a chunk of my week on direct coaching with PMs who want more - meaningful influence, not just titles. Here’s what typically happens in practice:

• Early conversations are about “where do you want to be uncomfortable?”
• We sketch out likely moments of friction: technical debates, cross-functional deadlocks, disappointing data, or exec pushback.
• I sit with them through at least one hairy stakeholder call or roadmap review; we always debrief together afterward.
• We make feedback a part of every discussion, treating misses as a sign you’re actually stretching.
• I position their growth as visible - to their boss, to peers, to the wider org. This opens doors for them faster.

I’ve watched PMs go from “quiet top contributor” to “driver of a major bet” in six months. Why? Not magic, just a mix of psychological safety, freedom to test, and at-bat exposure with support.

For more on leveling-up product managers into true leaders - here’s my detailed breakdown on the PM career ladder and supporting frameworks.

Your Playbook for Developing High-Potential Team Members

Don’t Overthink - Coach, Don’t Control

There’s one trap I see over and over: well-meaning execs “protecting” their best people from risk, complexity, or political mess. Stop it. Let them get dirty. Give them a clear mandate, permission to swing, and coaching to get up when they trip.

And if you find yourself micromanaging? You’re stunting growth, not protecting quality. Coaching is about giving more rope, not more rules. Check out my post on coaching vs. controlling - and how to lead for real scale for concrete tips on backing off.

Remember, the best wins come from seeing people go farther, faster than you did. Your job is to set the stage, not own the script.

Reflection: Are You Creating or Consuming Potential?

Let’s end here. Every leader believes they can spot talent. Fewer know how to actually bring it to life. If you want your high potentials to step into bigger shoes, don’t sit and wait - build the environment, offer direct coaching, and let them see their own progress (and pain) out loud.

This stuff compounds. When people feel seen and trusted - and get a steady dose of challenge plus support - teams move faster, solve harder problems, and you end up with a bench of real leaders, not just “top performers.”

Try it. I guarantee, a year from now, your org will look and run wildly different.