Develop Your Team’s Social Capital, Not Just Their Skills
Setting high performers up for advancement requires more than helping them gain experiences that improve performance. Managers must also help them develop the social capital that is critical to leadership success.
James J. AreagoAugust 24, 2026Reading Time: 11 min
Summary:
High-performing employees who are tapped as potential leaders often don’t get the help they need building social capital in an ...
Leaders may prioritize executing strategy and driving organizational performance, but they are also responsible for developing the next generation of leaders. Traditionally, leadership development has focused heavily on performance — an understandable emphasis, given that leaders themselves are evaluated and rewarded based on execution and results.
However, as organizational strategies increasingly rely on cross-functional teams and external partnerships, employees’ success increasingly depends not only on technical capabilities and performance but on the ability to navigate relationships, influence stakeholders, access information across boundaries, and...
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