From High Potential to Executive Ready: The Ascend Approach
By Tasha LeFevre, VP of Development
High-potential leaders represent future executive talent—and the level of impact they are expected to have requires an elevated, highly personalized development experience. These individuals aren’t only being prepared to lead teams; they’re being prepared to lead the organization.
One of the first steps is clear and intentional identification of potential. High potential isn’t a feeling—it’s a disciplined process. Catapult partners with leadership teams to objectively identify Hi-Po talent using tools like the 9-Box, future-focused competency models, and strategic needs assessments. This helps ensure development efforts are targeted to the leaders with the greatest capacity for executive impact.
From there, development becomes deeply tied to business strategy. Catapult begins by asking a simple but essential question: What competencies will future executives need to lead your organization where it’s going next? Through leadership model design, stakeholder interviews, and analysis of strategic priorities, we identify the executive-level competencies that matter most—competencies such as strategic decision making, influence, systems thinking, change agility, executive presence, and vision alignment. Every development experience is then anchored to these future-forward capabilities.
A Customized Experience Designed for Executive Readiness
Unlike traditional leadership programs, Hi-Po development isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each leader receives an individualized development plan (IDP), intentionally customized to their strengths, opportunities, and career trajectory. This plan is supported by a dedicated executive coach who ensures learning stays relevant, challenging, and aligned to live business needs.
Psychometric tools play a critical role in accelerating this journey. Catapult incorporates instruments such as Hogan, emotional intelligence assessments, and 360° feedback (including LVI 360, SigmaRadius, and Hogan 360). Used both pre- and post-program, they provide a clear, measurable picture of growth, readiness, and leadership behavior shifts.
Exposure also becomes essential at this stage. Hi-Po leaders benefit immensely from interaction with senior executives who can offer perspective, expectations, and enterprise-level context. Whether through mentoring, executive panels, case discussions, or strategic conversations, this engagement gives high potential leaders firsthand insight into what it means to lead at the highest levels.
Peer learning rounds out the experience. Hi-Po cohorts gain value from connecting with other high potential leaders across the organization—sharing insights and best practices, building networks, and engaging in peer coaching that often continues long after the program concludes.
Classroom learning remains a key component, but the content is elevated and focused on the capabilities executives rely on most. Sessions often explore growth mindset, influence, vision creation and communication, decision making under complexity, emotional intelligence, change leadership, and manager-as-coach skills. These topics push high-potential leaders to think more strategically and lead with broader impact.
To ensure the program delivers measurable value, Catapult conducts an impact survey to evaluate behavioral shifts, application of the learning, and business outcomes. Organizations gain clarity into how effectively participants are progressing toward readiness for expanded leadership roles and obtain a clear picture on the return on investment.
Why Hi-Po Development Matters: Preparing the Leadership Bench
Organizations with a robust pipeline of ready-now leaders experience smoother transitions, stronger performance, and greater retention of top talent. High-potential development is a deliberate investment—but one that directly strengthens succession readiness.
By preparing future leaders with intention, organizations gain:
- A deeper, stronger bench for executive roles
- Higher retention of high performers who feel seen and supported
- Better alignment between leadership capabilities and business growth
- Reduced risk during periods of change or transformation
The Ascend Phase: Becoming Enterprise Leaders
On Catapult’s Leadership Development Continuum, the Ascend phase marks the bridge between strong mid-level leadership and true executive readiness. It represents the moment when a leader’s scope expands, their perspective widens, and their development becomes intensely personalized.
In this stage, Catapult elevates leaders from “effective manager” to “enterprise leader” by strengthening their self-awareness, strategic thinking, influence, decision making, and ability to articulate and align others around vision. Hi-Po leaders emerge from this phase not just more capable—but more confident, more strategic, and more ready for expanded responsibility.
They are the leaders who will move next into the later phases of the continuum: Executive Development, Succession Planning, and ultimately CEO Readiness.
Future-Ready Leaders Don’t Happen by Accident
High-potential employees become executive-level leaders not because they were promoted, but because they were prepared. Catapult ensures that preparation is deliberate, strategic, and tailored to both the leader and the organization’s future.
Your future executives are already inside your organization. The question is: Are you developing them with intention?
If you’re ready to strengthen your leadership bench and accelerate your high-potential talent, Catapult can help you design a customized development approach that builds future-ready executives. Contact us today.
This article is the second installment in our Leadership Development Continuum series. If you missed part one, read it here:
From Contributor to Leader: Navigating the First Steps of the Leadership Journey