High-potential employees supposedly sit in the top 5 percent of employees in a given organization. These individuals are the company’s most capable, engaged, and productive, and they are the most likely to be promoted to management and other more senior positions. To prepare for these roles, companies often identify their high-potential employees and place them in accelerated training programs. However, according to a recent study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, more than 40 percent of individuals enrolled in such programs didn’t belong there. After collecting information from nearly 2,000 employees across three organizations who were identified as “high potential,” it was determined that on average, 12 percent of these individuals were in the bottom quartile for their organizations in terms of leadership effectiveness. Overall, 42 percent were below average. One of the main issues is the way these individuals are measured. Generally speaking, they are lacking in two important skills that go overlooked: strategic vision and the ability to motivate others. However, underqualified individuals who truly do aspire to these senior positions within their organizations are in the right place; accelerated management programs can teach them the skills they need to become successful leaders.