“There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela

One word comes to mind in thinking about Mandela’s statement: potential. Material dealing with potential is endless. Books, articles, blogs, etc. exist to explore the concepts surrounding potential and how to reach our greatest potential. Passion thrives when reaching potential, achieving the life we are capable of living.

Determining potential, however, is the challenge before leaders. This challenge increases when considering the spiritual application. Here are a few ideas for determining potential:

1) Attitude – the attitude of the individual plays one of the most significant roles in determining potential. A poor attitude generally equates to low potential and a good attitude to high potential.

2) Action – past and present actions also influence potential. Examining the areas of success and failure, along with the reasons behind that success or failure, lends toward determining potential.

3) Ability – everyone possesses certain abilities. Regardless of the level of the ability, if the ability exists there is always room to improve. Recognizing one’s abilities help determine potential.