The four levels of potential — and the one most people never reach
One of my favorite teachings of Jesus is the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. In the story, one servant was given five talents, another was given two, and another was given one. The main point isn’t about how much each person received. The lesson is about what they did with what they were given. God has given every one of us talent, ability, opportunity, and potential. That talent is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift back to Him.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe there are four levels of potential and impact that people can reach in life: Untapped Potential, Developed Potential, Personal Success, and Significance.
Every one of us is somewhere on this journey. The good news is that we’re not stuck. We can grow, learn, and move from one level to the next.
Untapped Potential
The first level is untapped potential. Sometimes it’s because of circumstances beyond a person’s control. They were born into poverty, raised in difficult environments, faced disabilities, experienced trauma, or never had positive examples around them. Other times, they simply surrender to their circumstances. They settle for survival instead of striving for something more. They may have talent, but it never gets cultivated. Their potential remains untapped. Sadly, many people spend their entire lives this way.
Developed Potential
The second level is developed potential. These individuals have ability and potential, but they never have the right leaders, mentors, teachers, or investors come alongside them. Nobody helps them sharpen their gifts. Nobody helps them learn discipline, vision, and how to maximize what they’ve been given. Some eventually figure it out on their own, but many never fully become who they could have been because they lacked the guidance needed to develop their talent.
Personal Success
The third level is what most people think of when they picture success. These are the people who take what God has given them and go to work. They stay disciplined. They make sacrifices. They learn, grow, and persevere. As a result, they become successful in their careers, businesses, ministries, or chosen fields. And rightly so. They have taken what they were given and multiplied it. That’s why I believe success can be an act of stewardship. The servants in Jesus’ parable who multiplied their talents were commended for doing exactly that.
But I don’t think personal success is the highest level. I’ve come to realize there’s a fourth level.
Significance
The fourth level is significance. This is where a person not only becomes successful themselves, but helps others become successful as well. They invest in people. They mentor. They encourage. They open doors. They use their influence, knowledge, resources, and experience to help others reach their God given potential.
This is what Zig Ziglar was talking about when he said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” This is also what John C. Maxwell calls significance. In his teaching on leadership, significance is the highest level because your success is no longer measured simply by what you accomplish, but by how many other people you help succeed.
There’s a subtle but important difference here. Success is adding value to yourself. Significance is adding value to others.
As I look back over my life, some of my greatest joys have not come from my personal accomplishments. They’ve come from watching other people succeed. They’ve come from seeing someone discover their calling, grow in their faith, overcome obstacles, graduate from college, build a healthy family, or become a leader who is now helping others. Looking back, there is something deeply fulfilling about knowing that God used me to help someone else become everything He created them to be.
Success is a worthy goal. We should all strive to maximize the gifts, talents, and opportunities God has entrusted to us. But significance is the greater goal. Don’t spend your entire life simply climbing the ladder. Reach back and help someone else climb it too. That’s where lasting impact is found. That’s where fulfillment is found. And that’s where a life of true significance begins. Word…
Alex Bryant is a pastor, author, and speaker who writes about race, faith, and culture in America.
