8 Points on People’s Potential

By. Matt Monge

People power organizations. Not products. People. Prudence tell us that if we peer under what appears to be the perfect veneer of most professionals, there are a plethora of properties particular to that person. These properties, in the presence of positive pressure, progress as people pursue their potential. Psychologists propose that each person possesses the power to be part of propelling organizations forward. Organizations do their part by promoting the practice of putting people first. In this post, please permit me to posit that the potential pluses of empowering people are perdurable.

My apologies. Every once in a while, like in the preceding paragraph (dang it–did it again) I try the most random things to communicate my points. Like, say, alliterating an entire paragraph just for kicks. For a hot minute there–a really hot minute if you’re into verbiage–I felt like the V for Vendetta guy in one of my favorite scenes of any movie ever. If only I had a black bath towel to pin around my neck. Of course who I am is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man behind a blog. (See what I did there? If you’re a fan of the movie you do. If you’re not a fan of the movie…well…it’s just further confirmation in your mind that I’m a little odd.)

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that one of the components of a constructive culture was that people start to realize what they’re capable of. In other words, they start to realize their potential and push toward it. If I were talking nerdy to you, I’d say they self-actualize, but we’ll not go there. At least not today.

But from a practical perspective (sorry), what does that look like? There are times–and if you’ve been in leadership any amount of time you know exactly what I’m talking about–when you catch glimpses of someone’s potential. Flashes. Snapshots. Flickers.

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