People can’t improve what we don’t tell them.

In this episode of The Premier Standard, Bo sits down with Adam Van Horn, President of Flynn Taco Bell, to talk about what being a Talent Developer really looks like in the day-to-day moments of leadership.

Adam makes a simple but important point: development isn’t a mid-year review, an IDC, or an IDP. It’s repetition, reinforcement, honest feedback, and the willingness to keep investing in someone long enough for growth to actually happen.

They talk about why development conversations can become check-the-box activities, why “I already told them” usually isn’t enough, and how leaders can separate what they own from what the person being developed has to own for themselves.

Adam also shares a candid story about believing in a high-potential leader, realizing they had skipped an important step in building business competency, and staying with the development process long enough to see that leader eventually become a VP.

They also discuss spotting potential, talent calibration, the bias that comes from being close to someone, and why leaders should walk into the field actively looking for the next person on the bench.

The message Adam leaves us with is simple:

Never leave things unsaid.

If someone is doing something great, tell them. If something is getting in their way, tell them that too.

And if you’ve told them three times and they’re still worth investing in?

Tell them a fourth.

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