Waking the Sleeping Giant
Welcome to the 107th edition of “In Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit reply and let me know what you think.
Story of the Week: “Waking the Sleeping Giant”
A friend of mine recently shared a thought-provoking line from one of his favourite songs (“Never Tear Us Apart” by the Australian band INXS):
“We all have wings, but some of us don’t know why.”
I, too, was struck by it because it seemed to refer to something that I’ve seen first-hand in the leadership arena. In every organization there are people brimming with potential — talented, capable and ready to grow — and yet they remain unseen, unheard or underutilized. The question is: How do we, as leaders, help them see their wings and enable them to take flight?
Tony Robbins, the hugely successful and influential American speaker, described such untapped talent as “a sleeping giant within us” and perceptive leaders know how to recognise and wake it up. Apple founder Steve Jobs, for example, had a knack for spotting talent before others did. He didn’t choose Tim Cook as his successor simply because he was a competent executive with a gift for operational excellence and decision-making under pressure. Jobs saw something deeper in him: a leader who, though quieter than Jobs himself, had the steadiness and strategic mind to steer Apple into the future. The lesson? Great leaders are not distracted by those in the room with the loudest voices; they seek and find the ones who can truly make a difference.
And it’s not only the biggest companies that get this right. I once worked with a restaurant owner who noticed that one of his dishwashers had an incredible way with people. Instead of keeping him in the kitchen, he moved him to front of house, where he thrived. That decision not only changed the young man’s life — he went from washing dishes to leading service teams, all because someone saw his potential and gave him a chance — but also the trajectory of the restaurant itself. All because a leader chose to see beyond job titles and recognize potential.
And that’s where many companies get it wrong: they assume that leadership development should be restricted to those already at the top, so they invest exclusively in C-level coaching, executive retreats, etc., while neglecting the middle management and even those further down the chain when those are precisely the people who know how to turn strategy into action.
Netflix wisely takes a different approach, investing heavily in its middle managers, who are empowered to take decisions, shape culture and mentor their teams. The media giant recognizes that these individuals are the glue that holds everything together. Without strong middle management, even the best strategies can fall apart.
If we want our organizations to thrive, we need to stop thinking that leadership opportunities should be reserved for the few at the top. The real impact happens in the middle, where culture is reinforced, strategy turns into results and potential either flourishes or fades away.
Words of Wisdom
“The true measure of a successful leader is their ability to discover the hidden talent in those they lead and challenge them to achieve greatness. If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you are right.” Henry Ford
A Question to Ponder, dear friend.
Who around you has a sleeping giant inside them? Who has wings that they have yet to discover? And what are you doing to help them fly?
