The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

In this episode of The 90th Percentile, hosts BreAnne Okoren  and Joe Folkman explore the powerful connection between leadership, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. Drawing on research and real-world examples from companies like Sears and Zappos, they discuss how effective leadership drives employee engagement, which in turn boosts customer satisfaction and profitability. They also examine the critical role of culture, leadership development, and the difference between givers and takers in creating cohesive, high-performing teams. Tune in to discover actionable insights for fostering better leadership and ultimately delivering superior customer experiences.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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.

Connecting The Manager, Employee, and Customer Satisfaction Chain– Forbes Article by Joe Folkman

The post Episode 144: Connecting The Manager, Employee, and Customer Satisfaction Chain first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

We can all admit that we have felt a little threatened by AI. After all its whole purpose is improve and ultimately replace Human intelligence. And leadership will not be spared by the impact of AI.  Certain leadership qualities, such as deep domain expertise, decisiveness, authority, and short-term task focus, are losing their impact, while others, such as humility, adaptability, vision, and emotional connection, are likely to play a key role in more-agile types of leadership. Charles Darwin said in On the Origin of the Species that it’s not the strongest or most intelligent of the species that survives but the one that’s most adaptable to change In the episode, we are looking at the adaptability of leaders and whether they will survive or thrive with AI.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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.

Leadership and AI: Will You Barely Survive or Thrive?— Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

The post Episode 143: Are You Surviving or Thriving With AI? first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

What’s the main thing for leadership development? Is it excelling at selecting the right people? Is it a well-funded corporate learning center with renowned faculty? Is it using the most powerful learning technologies? Worse yet, what if we’ve been missing the main thing? In this episode, we are looking at the development industry and some of the puzzle pieces that we believe are missing to make more progress happen.

Register for Zenger Folkman’s upcoming webinar, TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: The Missing Pieces To Produce Change.

Connect with Jack Zenger

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

Transforming Leadership Development: Are We Missing the Main Thing? – Article by Jack Zenger

The post Episode 109: Transforming Leadership Development—Are We Missing The Main Thing? first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Recently, a compelling question emerged: How do trust and conflict resolution impact a leader’s effectiveness? To explore this, we analyzed a robust dataset of 360-degree assessments from 4,347 leaders, collected over the past three years.  In environments where leaders are untrustworthy or avoid resolving conflicts, dissatisfaction and disengagement flourish. Conversely, trusted leaders who adeptly navigate conflicts foster high levels of employee engagement and effectiveness. Today, we’ll dive deeper into the data, exploring how trust and conflict resolution enhance leadership, and reveal four key behaviors that help build these essential skills.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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.

Resolving Conflicts in the Workplace: Key Behaviors for Leaders— Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

The post Episode 142: Trust and Resolving Conflict in the Workplace—Key Behaviors for Leaders first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Stress comes to us all in tiny minor assaults throughout our day through relationships and interactions that are too numerous to shake off quickly. The problem is that most of us have come to accept micro-stresses as just a normal part of a day, but they are wearing us down. In our episode, Karen Dillon joins us to discuss her research on micro-stressors and some approaches that can be used to work through them.

Harvard Business Review Article- Don’t Let Micro-Stresses Burn You Out, by Rob Cross, Jean Singer, and Karen Dillon

Guest Bio

Connect with Us

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 76: Identifying and Managing Micro-stressors first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Can individuals truly recover from being perceived as fundamentally flawed in honesty and integrity? We embarked on a research journey to uncover whether redemption is possible for those who have fallen into the pit of distrust. We analyzed data from 6,025 leaders who participated in 360-degree assessments, receiving feedback from their managers, peers, direct reports, and other raters. Our mission was to see if they could change and, if so, how they managed to do it. Join us as we dive deeper into these findings, share stories of transformation, and provide practical tips for leaders striving to rebuild trust and integrity.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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.

Can Honest Leaders Rebuild Integrity? Insight from a Study of 6,025 Leaders— Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

The post Episode 141: Can Honest Leaders Rebuild Integrity? first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

In this episode of “90th Percentile,” co-hosts Jack Zenger and BreAnne Okoren take a culinary approach to discussing effective leadership development. They compare the essentials of a good family meal to the key components of a successful leadership development plan. Just as family meals become staples due to their simplicity and consistent outcomes, leadership development should be straightforward and yield predictable, positive results.

Key Ingredients of Leadership Development

The Three Ingredients of Effective Leadership Development

Case Studies

Connect with Jack Zenger

Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar monthly, 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 post Episode 140: The Three Key Ingredients for Sustainable Leadership Excellence first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

 CEO, Vice President, Director, Supervisor, Manager, or Individual contributor each organizational position comes with its own set of demands. While being great at everything would be ideal, the majority of us are only human and subject to our inability to achieve perfection. In this episode, we discuss the different skills that leaders need at every level.

Learn more about our short course Mastering Confidence: Build a Presence that Elevates Performance.

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.

Skills Leaders Need at Every Level– Harvard Business Review Article by Jack Zenger & Joe Folkman

The post Episode 67: The Skills Leaders Need at Every Level first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

We are all forced to make hundreds of little and big decisions every day. It can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Some people are so crippled with the fear of making a bad decision that they refuse to decide. Based on research from 50,000 leaders, we’re exploring the root causes for poor decision-making and how to avoid them.

Learn more about our short course Mastering Confidence: Build a Presence that Elevates Performance.

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.

9 Habits That Lead to Terrible Decisions– Harvard Business Review Article by Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman

The post Episode 51: 9 Habits That Lead to Terrible Decisions first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

360-degree assessments are a central component in many leadership-development programs. But not all assessments provide the same value to individual leaders or to the organization.

The best assessments offer participants powerful insights into how others perceive their leadership strengths and weaknesses. These become a solid impetus for personal change. Organizations that offer multi-rater feedback at the start of their leadership development programs benefit from participants who are much more receptive and engaged in their learning opportunities.  Given so many choices, how can organizations determine what qualifies as a highly effective instrument? In this podcast, we are exploring six components that differentiate the best 360 degree assessments.

8-minute Strengths Self Assessments

Register for HOW EFFECTIVE IS YOUR 360? 12 Key Components for Maximum Impact

Connect with Joe Folkman

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.

12 Components of a Best in Class 360 Assessments— Article by Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger

The post Episode 139: 6 Components that Differentiate the Best 360-Degree Assessments first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.