High Learners as High Performers

Selection, staffing and succession planning should be a combination of looking at those characteristics that don’t change much over time and can be detected early (such as intelligence) and those that flower across time as the person learns to deal with fresh situations. Previously (Lombardo & Eichinger, 2000) we proposed that an important part of being a high potential was being a high learner (being high on learning agility). The premise of that article was that if people learn, grow, and change across time (and consequently develop new skills – not just enhancing what they already have), then comparing the competencies of a promising 25 year old to the competencies (success profile) of successful 50 year olds will not be totally informative.