The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Details In the spirit of reflection that accompanies this festive season and honoring whatever holiday you celebrate, this year’s  message revolves around the sage words of Dr. Seuss from his classic, “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”. In our ever-evolving world, where individual pursuits often overshadow the essence of community, we reflect on our roles as HR professionals and coaches. Our mission...

Details In the awkward dance of professional interactions, the key to a flourishing work relationship lies not in quick fixes, but in the art of weaving sincerity and respect into the very fabric of our connections. Beyond the confines of office walls, there’s a rich tapestry of experiences and passions that define each of us. Recognizing that we are so much more than our job titles is the corners...

Details Consistency is a cornerstone of effective leadership, playing a pivotal role in building, maintaining, and restoring trust within an organization or community. Consistency means aligning one’s words, actions, and decisions over time, creating a predictable and reliable pattern of behavior. This reliability is crucial for several reasons. First and foremost, consistency provides a sense of...

Details When a company needs a supervisor for a team, senior leaders often anoint the team’s most productive performer. Some of these stars succeed in their new role as manager; many others do not. And when they fail, they tend to leave the organization, costing the company double: Not only has the team lost its new manager but it’s also lost the best individual contributor. And the failure can be...

Details There is a leadership behavior that ignites a lot of conversation. It is trust. Many people have observational theories and experiences that influence their views on how trust is earned and maintained. At Zenger Folkman, we wanted to strip away all of the emotions and biases and purely analyze what the data says about trust. Which leaders have it? How does it influence their work? And what...

Details That feeling of not being an insider, but more of an observer, has a profound impact on your engagement, effort, and commitment. Perhaps you’re relishing the freedoms given through your work-from-home schedule or limited office time, but you recognize there may be a disconnect happening. On the other hand, you could be sitting in the office daily surrounded by all the inner workings and st...

Details The narrative surrounding the impact of remote work on productivity has taken unexpected twists and turns. Initially, the prevailing wisdom during the early days of the pandemic was that remote work was a boon for productivity. Yet, as the pandemic’s grip waned and remote work persisted, reports began to suggest a dip in productivity among remote employees compared to their in-office count...

Details Every organization is experiencing change. Some of the changes come from the external environment, such as customer expectations, government regulations, global competition, or new domestic competitors. Other changes are coming from within the organization; such as changing employee expectations, hybrid work schedules, redesigned teams and structures, automated activities that minimize dru...

Details Leadership can be a little complicated so in this episode we wish to reduce that complexity to a model of leadership that is more easily understood. You see, Leadership behaviors are knit together, much like the complex network of the human brain. There is a great deal of interdependence between them. Research shows that there are behaviors that are far more powerful in separating highly e...

Details 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...

Details 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 eBo...

Details One of the most dramatic changes in leadership development in the last decade has been the shift in focus from correcting weaknesses to identifying and expanding on strengths. As this movement continues to catch hold, three myths have emerged that deserve to be dispelled. Key Learnings From the podcast, here are some key learnings and insights: 1. Shift in Leadership Development Focus: Ove...

Details 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...

Details 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 ar...

Details 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 thi...

Details 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 forg...

Details Many people assume that it’s possible for a person to be an effective leader without being really likable. After all, work isn’t a popularity contest. That is technically true, but you may not like the odds. In this episode, we’re revealing why even if you’re a senior leader or project manager you still should care if people like you. Self-Directed Course Learn more about our short course...

Details 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 oppor...

Details Over the past year, there has been a call for leaders to be less demanding and more empathetic toward individual employees. They need to inspire and motivate them to work, not demand results! However, our analysis of 360-degree assessments showed that the most effective leaders also know how to push people but are not very good at pulling them. In this episode, we share the research behind...

Details We found that while women generally outperform their male counterparts on most leadership competencies, they are not perceived by their managers, peers, and subordinates as being as adept at ​strategic thinking​ as their male counterparts. This gap between women and men in perceived strategic thinking skills begins early, but by age 50, the difference vanishes. In this episode, we are unra...

Details 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,...

Details Order your copy of The Trifecta of Trust: The Proven Formula for Building and Restoring Trust . In 2019, Joe Folkman wrote an article for Harvard Business Review based on research he conducted on trust in organizations. He found that trust is a leading indicator of whether others evaluate you positively or negatively. But how to create that trust, or perhaps more importantly, how to reesta...

Details 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 l...

Details 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...

Details Kevin Wilde, author of Coachability: The Leadership Superpower,  joins us to discuss the research on coachability. During his time as CLO at Fortune 500 companies, he saw a lot of career derailment and wanted to understand WHY and HOW it could happen to even the best leaders. His book was originally going to be about career derailment. But he realized that’s just reporting on the accident....