Finding Hidden Leadership Potential Before Your Competitors Do

As someone who’s been on both sides of the table—as a CEO and a former executive recruiter—I know finding the right leaders is crucial, whether your company is in rapid growth or simply needs to execute on a solid plan. But exceptional leaders often don’t fit the traditional mold. They may lack Ivy League degrees or Fortune 500 experience, or have participated in a rapid scaling initiative but lack the credentials of driving the expansion. They may have other vital qualities.

Identify executive talent others overlook

Tools that assess behavior, motivation, cultural alignment, personality, and other capabilities offer a complete view of a candidate and reveal hidden potential. At True, we combine intelligence from 25k+ True Search executive projects and 1M+ leadership data points across industries and functions into our comprehensive proprietary report, True View, to give clients the most dynamic, actionable insights into potential hires.

This guide will show you how to avoid costly hiring mistakes and beat the competition on identifying transformative leaders using a combination of hiring tools. I will discuss how to use these same tools to develop high potential teams in a follow-up article.

Why leverage data-backed insights

Over-reliance on resumes and interviews—traditional hiring methods that are no longer sufficient—frequently fail to capture the full scope of a candidate’s potential. Consider a COO candidate who rebuilt a nonprofit’s operations after a scandal. They may bring sharper crisis management skills than a big tech alumnus.

A well-developed assessment tool offers objective, data-backed insights and can uncover some of the following areas that a traditional interview approach may fail to:

• Illuminate personality
  Determine traits like communication style and how a candidate handles pressure. Discover hidden strengths like an exceptional ability to problem-solve when things get intense, or potential challenges such as a tendency to avoid conflict.
• Assess cognitive abilities
  Measure how a candidate’s mind works like their critical thinking skills and how fast they learn. A high score suggests they can quickly understand complex ideas and navigate uncertainty well.
• Predict leadership style
  Learn how a candidate will motivate and influence others. For example, a transformational leader might be ideal for a company undergoing major change, while a servant leader would thrive in a collaborative, team-focused environment.
• Resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence
  Reveal these qualities with interview questions that explore how candidates have navigated challenges, managed change, and learned from setbacks. Look for patterns of accountability, fast learning, and a track record of inspiring teams.
• Additive to company culture
  Explore a candidate’s values and beliefs by asking questions that reveal how they approach ethical dilemmas, manage conflict, and foster a positive work environment. Seek leaders who share core values and leadership philosophies but bring fresh perspectives that drive innovation.

How to create a data-informed evaluation process

A robust evaluation process uses a combination of assessments, interviews, and performance data to create a holistic view of candidates. For example, simulations can provide insights into decision-making, and reference checks can reveal patterns in how candidates have influenced outcomes and developed teams.

1. Assess for role alignment early: Start by clearly defining the core skills and qualities necessary for the position. Next, select assessments that accurately evaluate those competencies, for instance, cognitive ability tests to filter for strategic thinkers. By administering assessments early, you gain valuable insights to shape your interview questions later.
2. Develop a structured interview process: Ask questions that align with your required competencies and give all candidates a fair evaluation. Our clients find True Advisory’s integrated workflow and tools, scalable and consistent methodology, and real-time relationship management software (through Thrive) is a useful tool to standardize their interview processes.
3. Value diverse experiences: Consider candidates with experiences in volunteer work, community initiatives, or entrepreneurial ventures. Someone who successfully led a community initiative likely possesses strong project management and team-building skills.
4. Refine the search process: Track the performance of new executives and the effectiveness of the hiring process itself with metrics such as time-to-fill, candidate satisfaction, and team retention. Then, identify areas for improvement.

A skilled talent partner can help create a comprehensive approach that ensures a more accurate evaluation. True’s 125+ executive search partners across 20+ practice areas, with deep functional and industry knowledge, can establish strategic partnerships for you that drive outcomes.

Conclusion

The future of executive hiring lies in seeing beyond resumes to discovering the hidden potential in underrated candidates, and a combination of data-driven evaluations can reduce hiring risks. Employers can start by auditing their current processes, training hiring teams to interpret assessment data, and measuring leadership impact regularly.

True View combines best-in-class data, advanced tech, and deep expertise to help our clients de-risk every talent decision and optimize performance. In a world where competitors poach ‘perfect’ candidates, the real advantage lies in identifying leaders they don’t even realize exist.

For media inquiries, contact Jillian Ruggieri

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