We usually know high performers when we see them, because their stars shine bright in the workplace.
But how can you tell the difference between a high performer and a high potential performer? The latter have the talent, education, and training to become high performers, but haven’t yet proven themselves (often because they’re still new). In fact, not all workers with high potential graduate to the high-performer level; conversely, not all high performers are considered high-potential candidates that move into positions of leadership. Of course, not everyone shines right off the bat. (Both Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were deemed unteachable by elementary school teachers, and today they’re universally regarded as geniuses.)
