Back in 1999, sitting in a classroom at Tianjin Middle School in China, I learned a story that flipped my understanding of what “leadership and finding talent” really means. The legend of Bo Le – the ancient Chinese horse expert – wasn’t just about horses. It’s a masterclass for every hiring manager who’s ever stared at a pile of resumes and wondered, “How do I find the one gem hidden amongst the masses? or “How do I find the best leader on my team who may not be the most outgoing or the obvious choice?”
The original story begins with Sun Yang, nicknamed Bo Le. He was the Michael Jordan of horse appraisers. The king asked him to find a horse that could cross 1,000 miles in a single day. Bo Le searched far and wide—through mud, mountains, and other treacherous conditions. And guess what? He finally spotted a horse so rundown and thin most folks wouldn’t have bet a $1 on its future. But Bo Le saw beneath the matted coat of hair, the exhaustion, the sweat. He knew that, given care and rest, this busted-up horse would crush the 1,000-mile threshold in record time.
And he did. The king was blown away, and the legend of Bo Le was born.
My laoshi (professor) shared that Bo Le has come to be associated with someone who recognizes exceptional talent and provides opportunities for them to excel. If that doesn’t sum up the work we do every single day as hiring managers, I’m not sure I could’ve come up with a better example of betting on potential over polish and fancy resume formats.
My Bo Le Moment
We all wish for a Bo Le. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get one — and it changes your career. For me, that person was my supervisor, Rainelle, at Psychology Press.
I was fresh out of college, a complete newcomer to the world of publishing, starting in the exhibits department. I had raw ambition and a lot to learn. Scheduling and managing the logistics of 200+ annual conferences from someone who still relied on his parents to schedule his doctor appointments doesn’t sound like a safe bet. Still, Rainelle saw something in me before I saw it in myself. She handed me opportunities that some people wait years for – sending me to conferences, inviting me to rub elbows with board-level execs, and trusting me with real responsibility rather than menial tasks. What I most appreciated about her leadership was that she talked about me in rooms I wasn’t even in. She brought my name up when the doors opened and was a loudspeaker for my potential, even before I had the credentials. There’s a unique kind of gratitude that comes from knowing someone’s betting on you, not just for today, but for what you could become.
Who are the Bo Le’s In Your Organization?
On many engineering and manufacturing teams, it’s easy to spot the bold self-promoters – the ones who shout about their achievements from the rooftops (and probably in every Slack thread, too). Sometimes, yeah, they deliver. But as anyone who’s been on the inside knows, not everything—or everyone—is as shiny as they seem at first glance.
This noisy landscape makes it absolutely critical for leaders and hiring managers to move beyond surface signals and sharpen their radar for genuine high-potential talent. The true game-changers? They aren’t always the ones demanding the spotlight or crafting the perfect LinkedIn post.
A modern Bo Le doesn’t just skim resumes or watch for whoever speaks up most in meetings. They dig deeper, question assumptions, and tune into what actually drives results, for the team, not just for the individual. They know who quietly solves the most challenging problems, in the trenches, fostering real collaboration, and delivering value when no one’s looking.
When you have Bo Le-style leadership at the helm:
- Individual contributors stop obsessing over “looking busy” and start focusing on delivering real impact.
- Recognition and advancement go to those who move the team and the business forward, not just those who shout the loudest.
- A culture of trust and results starts to grow. Less self-promotion, more innovation and substance.
If you’re responsible for identifying and growing talent within your team, take a lesson from Bo Le: Don’t get blinded by the loudest, brightest stars. Sometimes, the people quietly moving projects forward hold your organization’s greatest untapped potential.
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