Edition #4 : The Becoming Human Manifesto: Human Potential Deserves a Chance

We say people are our greatest asset ..... But do we act like it?

By Mykel Salomon · 2025-11-22

<h3>🔓 Opening Reflection</h3>We say people are our greatest asset ..... But do we act like it?We build org charts, performance models, hiring matrices... And in the process, we forget to look people in the eye and ask:<blockquote>What are you capable of becoming? Who could you be… if someone gave you the chance?</blockquote>This edition is about the most underutilized power in every system.... Not AI. Not automation. Human potential.<hr><h3>🔦 Signal of the Week</h3>“We’re screening people out with checkboxes instead of inviting them in with vision.”We claim to want innovation. But we hire from a checklist. We reward people who check all the boxes.... instead of the ones who are ready to break the mold.You can train skills. You can teach tools. But you can’t fake hunger, integrity, and growth mindset.What if we started hiring for that?<hr><h3>💬 The Big Question</h3>Have you ever been overlooked… just because you didn’t look the part?Now try and flip it ... Are you overlooking someone today because they’re not “ready”? Or are they just waiting for a chance to rise?<hr><h3>🧠 Human Moment</h3>I’ve been that person.... The one who didn’t have the credentials but had the capacity. The one who didn’t fit the mold but could’ve shaped something better.And I’ve seen people pass up raw talent because it didn’t feel safe on paper.<blockquote>We talk about investing in potential. But potential doesn’t grow without opportunities, and someone to believe in it.</blockquote><hr><h3>🛠️ Build Together</h3>If you're hiring, leading, mentoring, here’s what investing in human potential looks like:<ul><li>Hire for mindset, not just mastery</li><li>Promote people who lead with curiosity, not certainty</li><li>Create stretch roles, not box-check roles</li><li>Ask what could they grow into? ... not what haven’t they done yet?</li></ul>📩 Who gave you your first real shot? Tag them. Or pay it forward.<hr><h3>🎙️ This Week’s Episode</h3>🎧 Ep. 13 – The Capacity Gap: Unlocking Human Potential in the Age of AIGuest: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="text-[#4FD1C5] underline hover:opacity-80 ember-view" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmesritz/">Philippe Mesritz</a>AI may be the tool, but humans are still the source of transformation.We discuss:<ul><li>Why investing in people is your biggest multiplier</li><li>How to spot potential in nontraditional places</li><li>What it really means to design for talent growth</li></ul>🎧 Listen or watch:<ul><li><a target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="text-[#4FD1C5] underline hover:opacity-80 jFyrVBZmOJTVoHJvKvUZeDCVoBSSacnHLLmEXDw " href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LhCP14zvcArENXQCYkyVz?si=0rPNqwUwTrSJiLXz3FGpqg">Spotify</a></li><li><a target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="text-[#4FD1C5] underline hover:opacity-80 jFyrVBZmOJTVoHJvKvUZeDCVoBSSacnHLLmEXDw " href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-13-the-capacity-gap-unlocking-human-potential-in/id1843402023?i=1000737397039">Apple Podcasts</a></li><li><a target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="text-[#4FD1C5] underline hover:opacity-80 jFyrVBZmOJTVoHJvKvUZeDCVoBSSacnHLLmEXDw " href="https://youtu.be/iJebUQrTDw0?si=j_bb2W4UAgR9zwTx">YouTube</a></li></ul><img class="max-w-full h-auto rounded-md my-4" src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQEqLezkQzHbBQ/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/B4EZqsbzb9GYAQ-/0/1763829564786?e=1772064000&v=beta&t=qwulQK3K9-0vcJLbV6mGH5bQN-kDEyEvN7cM6BAn-Fo" alt="Article content"><hr><h3>🧭 Thought to End the Week With</h3>“Potential is not what you’ve done, it’s what you could do if someone finally said yes.”Let’s build the kind of world where people don’t just survive the hiring process... They become in it.<hr>💌 Share this with someone who deserves a shot they haven’t been given yet.🔗 Follow <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="text-[#4FD1C5] underline hover:opacity-80 jFyrVBZmOJTVoHJvKvUZeDCVoBSSacnHLLmEXDw " href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-protocol/">The Human Protocol</a> to keep building a future that believes in people.🌍 Let’s stay human — together.— Mykel