Unleashing workforce potential to achieve and sustain high market performance is what leadership is all about' and will be more so in the future as organizations become increasingly more flat, global, matrixed and connected. Indeed, the ability to build, leverage and manage talent effectively is critical, presenting great challenges and opportunities for organizations to consistently deliver strong results.

For learning and talent development professionals, the call to action is very clear. We must:

• Develop more effective global leaders at all levels. Involving frontline managers in the design, development and execution of talent management processes has a strong positive correlation to engagement and market performance, and this involvement pays off most in workforce development.
• Build agility into individual and team development. A leader's ability to build a strong, supportive culture is essential. Yet, culture has to be agile and resilient in the face of continuous change. This is becoming more important, especially considering that leaders must also align talent with two ever-changing targets: shifting levels of customer expectations and changing global market conditions.
• Embed learning in the functions and processes with the greatest organizational impact. For example, coaching as a leadership acceleration tool is highly correlated to market performance, but ineffective coaching and managing of high potentials is also the top obstacle to high-potential program success.
• Enable ideation and learning from subject matter experts both within and outside of your organization. This type of knowledge sharing is a critical catalyst of creativity and innovation.