A predicament shows promise (6)
I believe the answer is:
plight
This clue is a double definition.
'a predicament' is the first definition.
(synonyms)
'promise' is the second definition.
(plight is a kind of promise)
'shows' is the link.
(Other definitions for plight that I've seen before include "Pledge; predicament" , "Serious predicament" , "A serious or difficult situation" , "Promise - trouble" , "Dangerous or difficult situation" .)