By Carolyn Shomali, PAR Director of Content

Is greatness born, or is it made? That’s the question social scientist and author Adam Grant explores in his 2024 bestseller, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. As associations strive to achieve greater outcomes in 2025, this question is worth considering.

To unlock the greatness within individuals, Grant introduces the concept of "scaffolding"—a psychological framework he illustrates through the inspiring story of a group of unlikely middle school chess players.

In 1991, the Raging Rooks, a diverse team of chess players from Harlem, New York, went from being unknown to gaining national attention as they defeated over 60 teams to tie for first place in the National Junior High Chess Championships. While many of their opponents were childhood chess prodigies, the eight members of the Raging Rooks had been novices only a few years earlier.

Their potential was unlocked with the help of their coach, Maurice Ashley, and the strategic scaffolding he provided. As Grant explains, Ashley “set up temporary structures to give them the opportunity and motivation to learn.”

Ashley’s scaffolding approach was twofold: First, he captured the players’ attention by showcasing the excitement of checkmate before diving into the game’s rules and strategies. Second, he fostered a team-based environment in a game that typically rewards individual effort.

In much the same way, associations can play a pivotal role as scaffolding for their industries, helping members and partners unlock their potential to achieve greater things.

Showing the Path Forward: Why Guidance Matters

As a chess master, Ashley knew the value of strategic moves. By sparking his players' curiosity before delving into the complexities of chess, Ashley showed them the destination before walking them down the path.

“When people can’t see a path, they stop dreaming of the destination. To ignite their will, we need to show them the way. That’s what scaffolding can do,” Grant writes.

This idea of "showing the way" is just as important for associations, according to Sean Soth, Leadership Advisory Board Chair for the Professionals for Association Revenue (PAR). “I think the most excellent business developers and sales-minded organizations are guides. They show providers and members where their work is headed and help them get there,” he says.

Using this approach can be transformative when building partnerships. By focusing on the bigger picture of what collaboration can achieve, associations can help partners understand the value of working together before diving into the details. Erin Pressley, SVP of Education Training and Events at the National Rural Electric Cooperative (NRECA), says showing value is a vital sales skill.

“What I love about sales is that you’re a helper, a solution-finder, a problem-solver, and a facilitator. When you do it right, that person or that company is more than happy to partner with your association because you’re helping them do something they can’t do on their own,” she says.

The Society for Interventional Oncology (SIO) shows how this scaffolding approach works in action. Named the 2024 Pierre Award Recipient by PAR, SIO raised $6 million for the first multi-industry-supported international clinical trial in interventional radiology. Executive Director Jena Eberly Stack attributes SIO’s success in securing partnerships to their ability to show prospective partners the impact of their involvement.

“We invited the partners into the process,” she says. “We made it clear that this is a risky investment, but we believe it’s worth it. We asked, ‘Do you want to be on a team that wins at the end of this? We can’t do it without you.’”

Building Collaborative Impact: Making the Room Smarter

Ashley’s second strategy was all about creating a team atmosphere within a game that’s played individually. By encouraging the players to learn from one another and share techniques, he built an environment of collective learning. As Grant writes, “They weren’t worried about being the smartest player in the room – they were aiming to make the room smarter.”

For associations, this is an important part of scaffolding. When associations provide opportunities for members to interact, exchange knowledge, and learn from each other, they enhance the collective intelligence of the entire community. This can be done through mentoring, certification prep programs, events, and cohort learning groups.

A great example of this approach comes from the Association for Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), which launched three certification prep programs over a 14-month period. Letty Klutz, APIC’s Senior VP of Membership, Education, and Programs, recalls, “We had very outdated and old-school materials, and APIC was in a situation where we were in desperate need of updating and upgrading our certification prep materials.” By creating the scaffolding for member learning, APIC was able to better support them in obtaining industry certifications —and, ultimately, contributed to the improvement of the infection control community.

But using scaffolding to create a collective team environment isn’t just for helping members—it can also be used to help current and potential partners learn from one another. John Bacon is the VP of Sales and Partner Experience at ASAE and says when associations connect current and potential partners, they give them the chance to see how their combined efforts could impact their industry.

“Use some of the other partners you’ve created as champions to help you tell your story,” he advises. “A lot of times, potential partners want to hear from others like them, and that’s a great way to do it.”

Like Maurice Ashley’s work with the Raging Rooks, associations have the unique ability to provide the scaffolding for their industries by helping their members and partners see the path forward—while providing the structure to help them reach it together. By embracing the concept of scaffolding, associations can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of their industries—one where greatness is not only possible but actively cultivated.