90th Percentile Leadership: Insights. Backed by Data.

Have you ever stopped to wonder who the unhappiest individuals within your organization are? Those weary souls who navigate the daily grind with an invisible weight on their shoulders, all while hiding behind their smiles? And what’s driving them crazy? Well, They may not be who you think they are. At least they were not who we would have thought of. In today’s episode, we going to uncover the hidden narratives behind workplace unhappiness and what can be done to fix it.

Key Takeaways from the Podcast on Workplace Unhappiness:

1. Engagement Stats: Only 23% of workers are engaged at work, with 59% quietly quitting or disengaging, and 18% actively disengaged.

2. Profile of Unhappy Employees: They are often mid-level managers with 5-10 years’ tenure and good performance ratings.

3. Top Causes of Unhappines:

4. Compounding Effects: These factors often compound, worsening employee dissatisfaction.

5. Impact on Organizations: The 5% of unhappy employees can drag down an organization’s success and profitability.

6. Solutions for Improvement:

7. The Role of Good Leadership: Good leaders are crucial for employee engagement, and organizations should not tolerate poor leadership’s harm.

These insights highlight the hidden causes of workplace unhappiness and provide guidance for organizations to address them effectively.

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman, and join in a conversation about their latest research in leadership development. Find out more information and register here.

Why Middle Managers are So Unhappy— Harvard Business Review Article by Jack Zenger & Joe Folkman

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In this enlightening podcast interview, Joe Folkman and Breanne Okoren explore the revolutionary concept of “Strength Builders” in leadership development. Drawing parallels between non-linear approaches and skill enhancement, this discussion challenges traditional linear methods and offers fresh insights into improving leadership skills.

Download a free copy of The Extraordinary Leader eBook.

Here are some key learnings from the podcast:

1. Beyond Linear Development: Traditional leadership development often follows a linear path, focusing on identifying and addressing weaknesses. However, to bridge the gap from good to great leadership, leaders must explore non-linear approaches that enhance their strengths.

2. Neil’s Story: The podcast highlights the story of Neil Van der Pul, a speed skater who achieved greatness by taking unconventional breaks from training, enriching his life outside sports, and ultimately enhancing his performance by addressing the mental aspects of his skill.

3. Understanding Strength Builders: Strength Builders are behaviors closely correlated with high competency ratings in leadership. These behaviors are like inseparable companions that provide clues for improving essential leadership qualities.

4. Mechanisms of Strength Builders: Joe and Breanne discuss six key mechanisms of Strength Builders:– Behavior and Companionship: Behaviors are perceived to fit together, and improving one positively affects the perception of the other.– Core Element: Strength Builders are often core elements of a behavior, facilitating its improvement.– Skill Development: Achieving high skill in one behavior helps develop related behaviors.– Changing Context: Strength Builders change the context in which leaders operate.– Personal Transformation: Developing a Strength Builder can have far-reaching effects, altering a leader’s perspectives, attitudes, and outlook on life.

5. Practical Implications: For leaders, understanding Strength Builders means having multiple tools in their leadership toolbox. These tools offer alternate routes to enhance leadership perceptions, especially for those seeking to move from good to great or even extraordinary.

In conclusion, Strength Builders offer leaders new avenues for growth and development, providing exciting paths for those who wish to enhance their leadership capabilities. By embracing non-linear approaches and recognizing the interconnectedness of behaviors, leaders can unlock their full potential and achieve remarkable results in their roles.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and talk about their latest leadership development research. Find out more information and register here.

Unlock Leadership Potential With Strength Builders — Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

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In today’s fast-paced, complex world, leaders need mirrors. The mirrors they need, however, go far beyond reflecting their physical appearance. Leaders need mirrors that reflect their behavior and the impact their behavior has on others. That requires much more than a piece of glass with a thin layer of metallic silver on the back. Leaders need mirrors to interpret data and feed it back to them in a practical form.

1. Leadership Mirrors:

• Modern leaders require mirrors that provide feedback on their behavior and its impact on others. These mirrors should offer practical interpretations of the data.

• 360-degree feedback:Described as a 2.0 mirror, it offers candid, constructive, and accurate feedback by pooling opinions from over a dozen colleagues.

• Personal feedback from peers is invaluable, but it’s often rarely given unsolicited.

• Whether internal or external to the organization, a coaching relationship can be extremely beneficial.

• Gen Z has distinct perspectives on careers and defining success. They prefer to be coached instead of managed, valuing the collaborative nature of coaching.

• Mirrors have seen significant evolution, from primitive versions found in ancient civilizations to the modern-day mirrors developed by applying metallic silver to clear glass.

In conclusion, to be effective and adaptive leaders in today’s fast-paced world, it’s imperative to have mirrors that don’t just passively reflect what’s in front of them but provide constructive feedback and actionable insights.

Connect with Jack Zenger

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and join in a conversation about their latest research in leadership development. Find out more information and register here.

A Meeting Everyone Likes? Ways To Achieve This Impossible Dream– Article By Jack Zenger

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Poor leadership in good times can be hidden, but poor leadership in bad times is a recipe for disaster. We have found the number one leadership behavior that direct reports expect and need from their boss is the ability to inspire and motivate others. Sadly, it is also the leadership behavior that is ranked dead last in performance. We are not very inspiring and in fact a lot of leaders are Uninspiring. In this episode we are exploring the cost of uninspiring leadership and 10 common fatal flaws that keep leaders from motivating their teams.

1. Understanding the Impact of Uninspiring Leadership:

• Leadership behavior that most direct reports expect and need is the ability to inspire and motivate others. However, this is the behavior that ranks the lowest in performance among leaders.

• Through two key studies, 10 common leadership shortcomings were identified, which included: lacking energy and enthusiasm, accepting mediocre performance, lacking clear vision and direction, having poor judgment, not collaborating, not walking the talk, resisting new ideas, not learning from mistakes, lacking interpersonal skills, and failing to develop others.

• Inspirational leaders bring a positive energy into the room, set high expectations, and are clear about their vision. This positivity not only inspires and motivates teams but also drives results.

• Leaders should focus on bringing a positive attitude to work, aiming for positive interactions, creating a positive team environment, and resolving conflicts quickly.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and talk about their latest leadership development research. Find out more information and register here.

The Stark Contrast: Uninspiring vs. Inspiring Leadership— Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

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HR seems to have become every manager and employee’s favorite corporate punching bag, vying with IT for the dubious title of most-irritating function. We have seen a parade of articles recently calling for HR to be blown up, split in two, or at the very least, redesigned.

Perhaps this is a good moment to evaluate what it is we really want from our HR leaders—and what we don’t. In this episode we are sharing Zenger Folkman’s research on what separates great HR leaders from the rest.

ZENGER FOLKMAN contrasted the results for the 5,174 HR leaders in our dataset with those of 71,024 leaders in other functions.

• The competency showing the biggest difference was that they were truly concerned about developing others. This set them apart from leaders in other functions, who did not score highly on this skill.

HR leaders were rated significantly more negatively on their ability to anticipate and respond quickly to problems. A number of items noted a general lack of speed and urgency to respond and react quickly.

HR leaders often complain that they “want a seat at the table” to engage more fully with other executives, but without clear strategy and focus they will never have that seat.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and talk about their latest leadership development research. Find out more information and register here.

What Separates Great HR Leaders from the Rest? — Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

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Do personal relationships have the power to shape a leader’s perception of individual performance? The significance of fostering healthy workplace relationships cannot be underestimated. Extensive research has shed light on our ability to connect with diverse individuals, revealing that we are not only happier but also more productive in doing so. However, how much does the ability to forge strong workplace connections truly influence better performance? In this episode, we going to uncover the interaction effect between relationship building and other leadership behaviors.

I analyzed data from 12,299 individuals to explore the link between relationship-building and performance rankings. Contrary to expectations that relationship reigns supreme, this research identified seven other capabilities that had a greater influence on performance rankings.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and talk about their latest leadership development research. Find out more information and register here.

Why Leaders Should Work on Their Relationship Building Skills— Article by Joe FolkmanNot Here to Make Friends– Article by Sarah WatcherThe Increasing Importance of a Best Friend at Work– Article by Gallup

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Meetings are a favorite target of complaints across all levels of an organization. Why is it so hard to have meetings that enthuse every participant? The obvious response is that we often want different things. Some prefer a highly structured, disciplined process of making rapid-fire decisions on a wide range of topics; others seek a free-wheeling discussion of current challenges and opportunities. Some see the meeting as a time when the team comes together to get reconnected bond; others see it as the opportunity to lobby for their pet project. The list of differences is endless. It’s no wonder that most meetings result in some participants grumbling about the process and the outcome. In reality, meetings will always have multiple purposes, which means that not everyone will be equally happy with the outcome(s). Much good can come from a well-planned and conducted meeting. The challenge is to structure and conduct meetings that fulfill the needs of most of the attendees. In today’s episode, we are taking on meetings and how to make them more effective.

Connect with Jack Zenger

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and join in a conversation about their latest research in leadership development. Find out more information and register here.

A Meeting Everyone Likes? Ways To Achieve This Impossible Dream– Article By Jack Zenger

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Vacation time—the sacred period where you can put your feet up, escape from spreadsheets, and unleash your inner happiness. It’s crucial for our well-being, both mental and physical.  Vacations reduce stress, increase productivity, and help you avoid burnout. However, we live in a fast-paced world where busyness is glorified. People wear their never-ending to-do lists like badges of honor, fearing that if they take time off, they’ll miss out or appear lazy. In this podcast episode, we’re taking a hard look at employee productivity and whether or not we need that vacation time off.

In a dataset of 2,310 respondents, we looked at data from the 20 countries with the most paid vacation days (247 respondents) and compared them to respondents in the United States (1,151). The 20 countries with the most vacation ranged from Australia, with 28 days allotted, to Sweden and Brazil, with 41 days. By contrast, the United States has no law requiring paid time off, and the average full-time worker with a year of service gets 10 paid vacation days (and only 25% of Americans take their full allotment, according to another survey).

First, we found that leaders in countries with more paid vacation days actually tend to seem slightly more likely to work at a faster pace, have a higher quantity focus, and feel more impatient.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and talk about their latest leadership development research. Find out more information and register here.

Are We More Productive When We Have More Time Off?— HBR Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

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There is one behavior that underlies all good leadership: treating everyone with respect. It’s the fundamental foundation of any relationship, and yet many managers struggle to express it, and right now, employees need to hear and feel they are respected. The world seems to have forgotten their niceties, and we all could show more respect. In this episode, we share research on seven ways leaders can lift their teams up and help them feel more respected.

Data we collected in 2022 from 4,849 employees indicated that only 4% felt disrespected, whereas 86% felt respected.

To establish a groundwork of respect, leaders must be aware that they may not be doing everything they can to show that they value diversity, and make clear that differences are valued.

In our research on trust, we discovered that if one person on your team distrusts you, it will significantly lower the level of trust from the rest of the team. This is an emotion that’s contagious.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and talk about their latest leadership development research. Find out more information and register here.

7 Ways to Make Employees Feel Respected, According to Research— HBR Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

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How hard is it to be coached? You show up, listen, and then great things happen, right? Well, according to Michael Bungay Stainer, we might be looking at being coached in the wrong way. “The term “be coached” lulls you into a false sense of complacency. It assures that you will be pushed, cajoled, encouraged, cheered on, provoked, supported, and so on. The coach does all the work. You reap the benefits. It’s a recipe for a disappointing experience and a terrible waste of time and money.”

This is why we are focusing our conversation today, NOT on coaching but on improving your coachability. The research shows there’s a lot you can and need to do to guide your path to becoming a highly coachable leader.

REGISTER for WEBINAR—Coachability: The Foundation Skill for ALL Development. 

Guest Bio

Kevin Wilde is an Executive Leadership Fellow at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. In 2015, he concluded a 34-year corporate career in leadership and talent development at General Electric and General Mills. In 2007, Chief Learning Officer magazine selected Kevin as CLO of the year.

His writing for Talent Management magazine received a national award for editorial excellence from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. His work has also been published in over a dozen books, including Coaching For Leadership, the Pfeiffer Annual on Leadership Development, and Forward-Focused Learning. In 2022, Kevin authored Coachability: The New Leadership Superpower.

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Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and join in a conversation about their latest research in leadership development. Find out more information and register here.

The post Episode 113: Entering the Coachability Learning Zone first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

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