Uncovering Hidden Leadership Potential Before Your Competitors Do
July 22, 2025 – As someone who’s been on both sides of the table as a CEO and a former executive recruiter Joe Riggione, founder and co-CEO of True, knows that finding the right leaders is crucial, whether your company is in rapid growth or simply needs to execute on a solid plan. “But exceptional leaders often don’t fit the traditional mold,” he said. “They may lack Ivy League degrees or Fortune 500 experience, or have participated in a rapid scaling initiative but lack the credentials of driving the expansion. They may have other vital qualities.”
To truly gain a competitive edge, we must think creatively and use a strategic combination of data-backed insights and experience-backed human intuition to uncover hidden leadership potential, according to Mr. Riggione. True’s Talent Advisory data shows companies that continuously align strategy, culture, and talent have 58 percent faster growth than their peers while being 72 percent more profitable.
“Tools that assess behavior, motivation, cultural alignment, personality, and other capabilities offer a complete view of a candidate and reveal hidden potential,” said Mr. Riggione. “At True, we combine intelligence from 25k+ True Search executive projects and 1M+ leadership data points across industries and functions into our comprehensive proprietary report, True View, to give clients the most dynamic, actionable insights into potential hires. This guide will show you how to avoid costly hiring mistakes and beat the competition on identifying transformative leaders using a combination of hiring tools.”
Why Leverage Data-Backed Insights
Over-reliance on resumes and interviews—traditional hiring methods that are no longer sufficient—frequently fail to capture the full scope of a candidate’s potential, Mr. Riggione explained. “Consider a COO candidate who rebuilt a non-profit’s operations after a scandal,” he said. “They may bring sharper crisis management skills than a big tech alumnus.”
Mr. Riggione noted that a well-developed assessment tool offers objective, data-backed insights and can uncover some of the following areas that a traditional interview approach may fail to do the following:
Illuminate Personality – Determine traits like communication style and how a candidate handles pressure. Discover hidden strengths like an exceptional ability to problem-solve when things get intense, or potential challenges such as a tendency to avoid conflict.
Assess Cognitive Abilities – Measure how a candidate’s mind works like their critical thinking skills and how fast they learn. A high score suggests they can quickly understand complex ideas and navigate uncertainty well.
Predict Leadership Style – Learn how a candidate will motivate and influence others. For example, a transformational leader might be ideal for a company undergoing major change, while a servant leader would thrive in a collaborative, team-focused environment.
Resilience, Adaptability, and Emotional Intelligence – Reveal these qualities with interview questions that explore how candidates have navigated challenges, managed change, and learned from setbacks. Look for patterns of accountability, fast learning, and a track record of inspiring teams.
Additive to Company Culture – Explore a candidate’s values and beliefs by asking questions that reveal how they approach ethical dilemmas, manage conflict, and foster a positive work environment. Seek leaders who share core values and leadership philosophies but bring fresh perspectives that drive innovation.
How to Create a Data-Informed Evaluation Process
“A robust evaluation process uses a combination of assessments, interviews, and performance data to create a holistic view of candidates,” said Mr. Riggione. “For example, simulations can provide insights into decision-making, and reference checks can reveal patterns in how candidates have influenced outcomes and developed teams.”
1. Assess for role alignment early: Start by clearly defining the core skills and qualities necessary for the position, according to Mr. Riggione. “Next, select assessments that accurately evaluate those competencies, for instance, cognitive ability tests to filter for strategic thinkers,” he said. “By administering assessments early, you gain valuable insights to shape your interview questions later.”
Related: Here Is Why Versatile CEOs Are In Such High Demand
2. Develop a structured interview process: Ask questions that align with your required competencies and give all candidates a fair evaluation. “Our clients find True Advisory’s integrated workflow and tools, scalable and consistent methodology, and real-time relationship management software (through Thrive) is a useful tool to standardize their interview processes,” Mr. Riggione said.
3. Value diverse experiences: “Consider candidates with experiences in volunteer work, community initiatives, or entrepreneurial ventures,” said Mr. Riggione. “Someone who successfully led a community initiative likely possesses strong project management and team-building skills.”
4. Refine the search process: Mr. Riggione says to track the performance of new executives and the effectiveness of the hiring process itself with metrics such as time-to-fill, candidate satisfaction, and team retention. Then, identify areas for improvement.
A skilled talent partner can help create a comprehensive approach that ensures a more accurate evaluation. True’s 125+ executive search partners across 20+ practice areas, with deep functional and industry knowledge, can establish strategic partnerships for you that drive outcomes.
“The future of executive hiring lies in seeing beyond resumes to discovering the hidden potential in underrated candidates, and a combination of data-driven evaluations can reduce hiring risks,” Mr. Riggione said. “Employers can start by auditing their current processes, training hiring teams to interpret assessment data, and measuring leadership impact regularly.”
Working in both the private and public sectors, True Search has offices throughout the U.S. as well as the EMEA and APAC regions. Since the late 1990s, the firm’s founders have refined their search process with a blend of data-centric insights, relationship-building, and experience to produce a methodology that consistently improves hiring decisions and accelerates growth. The firm’s clients include Jet, Work Front, and Summit Partners. True Search is a subsidiary of True Platform, a global portfolio of human capital services and products for high-growth tech and tech-enabled organizations. True recently placed No. 6 on the Hunt Scanlon Media “Top 50 Recruiters” ranking.
Related: How Top CEOs Stay Connected to the Front Lines
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
