Late Bloomers and Late Start Emerging High Po and Protentials: The Special Gift of Grit, Resilience, and Agility

Parsimonious Haiku

We don’t choose our context,

We do choose whether to achieve,

Tough everything builds toughness.

Abstract: There are many High Potentials and Protentials who grow up in growth-challenging circumstances, where opportunities for growth and development are limited. For some, their potential goes unrecognized or undeveloped and remains what could have been. Yet, many persevere and achieve success against the odds. What do they become, after a lifetime of overcoming barriers? Resilience and Grit?

Like the butterflies emerging from their nurturing cocoons, some make it, and others don’t; although they were all created to make it.  Some had better sunlight, humidity, food, and temperature, and others less. As children, some of us collected those underdeveloped cocoons and raised them in jars on the windowsill in the sunlight. Some late bloomers emerged.

We’ve established that emerging High Potentials and Protentials need to be nurtured early to fully realize their abilities. When development is insufficient or absent, potential remains just that, unrealized.

The key components for developing a successful High Po or Protential include:

1. Natural abilities and predispositions (genetics; estimated to be roughly 50%)
2. A nurturing and supportive early (starting in childhood) environment
3. Educational opportunities from kindergarten through high school, guided by developmental parents, coaches, teachers, and administrators
4. A formative college experience with further developmental opportunities
5. Internships or other experiential formative learning
6. Early material career roles with supportive bosses and leaders and a culture of development
7. Continuous development over a 20-year career, starting with the first job

Through our 50 years of TM and coaching, we’ve worked with many clients who had the innate abilities (1 above) but faced significant barriers in their early development environments (2-5 above).

Many of these individuals came from environments lacking resources for optimal development. Like some rural and off-the-grid environments, immigrant students in a foreign world or financial constraints meant less or no extracurricular activities, lessons, or access to enrichment programs. Financial restraints meant they often grew up in neighborhoods with limited access to safe spaces, quality schools, or community resources and lacked transportation to explore.

In some cases, these environments were compounded by additional challenges, such as family dysfunction and instability, substance abuse, or exposure to violence.

These barriers and others limited their developmental opportunities, but many found ways to persevere and achieve despite these obstacles and challenges.

As part of our coaching process, we typically begin, after establishing goals, with a comprehensive life story interview. This involves exploring the client’s journey from birth to the present day, covering key experiences and milestones. The interview usually lasts one to two hours, allowing us to better understand the client's background, influences, and significant life events that have shaped who they are today.

One of the most common themes in their stories is the presence of a mentor or advocate who believed in their potential. Whether it was a teacher, coach, community leader, or a relative, someone provided the support and encouragement they needed to keep pushing forward. One choir and one band director. Three shop teachers. Many religious figures. Park workers. Someone other than a parent or in parallel with a parent.

Many were raised by extended family members, such as grandparents or aunts, and took on responsibilities early, caring for siblings and stepping into adult roles before their time. In some cases, community programs and social support systems played a critical role in helping them overcome the barriers they faced. Scouts, 4H, YMCA and YWCA, Head Start, and others.

Despite early challenges, most developed material resilience, resourcefulness, and grit-qualities that propelled them to achieve. Their determination to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals set them apart. While they may have started with fewer resources, their ability to navigate complex environments and make the most of limited opportunities has shaped them into strong, adaptive managers and leaders.

Even as they continue to face systemic biases and inequities, many of these individuals give back, mentoring and supporting others with similar backgrounds. In this way, their lived experience becomes a strength, and they offer valuable insights into leadership, problem-solving, and persistence. They sometimes also help with pulling a sibling through similar challenges.

Their journeys demonstrate that potential can thrive, even in the most challenging environments. With the right support from any source, these High Potentials and Protentials can and go on to achieve material success, overcoming significant barriers along the way.

We’ve seen this same story play out globally, such as during our work in South Africa post-apartheid, where underdeveloped High Potentials from historically marginalized communities were identified and were provided opportunities to thrive in the new government. They excelled when given the chance and development, proving that early barriers don’t define one’s future forever.

In a way, growing up in difficult environments can foster unique strengths. These individuals have learned to make the most of what they have and overcome adversity. With intentional development and mentorship in schooling and the workplace, they can become outstanding managers and leaders.

Don’t let a challenging start or delayed development overshadow the potential for greatness. Due to those early challenges, many of these individuals are poised to lead with strength, resilience, agility, and innovation.

So - just as some butterflies need the right conditions to emerge, some High Potentials and High Protentials develop later due to early circumstances. These late bloomers, though starting behind, can thrive when given extra support. Once nurtured, they quickly catch up. In many environments, they don't just catch up; they surpass their peers with stronger resilience and agility.

For more: www.TalentTelligent.com

Bob and LM Hanson