The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Details What value is there in connecting with the outside world? What perspective can we gain from leaving our environment and gaining knowledge from the world around us? It turns out, being stuck inside your tower has a strong influence on some very key leadership skills. In this episode, we will explain the pitfalls of … Continued The post Episode 54: The Rapunzel Effect– Connecting to the Outs...

Details Every day you hear a variety of communications from different sources.  Some of these experts have excellent communication skills, while others have in-depth knowledge and expertise. Have you found that some of these messages are more believable than others? In this episode, we’re discussing how to communicate when you lack credibility Check out our … Continued The post Episode 53: How to...

Details Humans are hard-wired to connect. They are social creatures that crave friendship and positive interactions with others. As much as we yearn for these interactions, however, many of us struggle to be good at building relationships. But why? In this episode, we’re discussing the key elements to developing positive relationships both within and outside … Continued The post Episode 52: How th...

Details Humans are hard-wired to connect. They are social creatures that crave friendship and positive interactions with others. As much as we yearn for these interactions, however, many of us struggle to be good at building relationships. But why? In this episode, we’re discussing the key elements to building better relationships both within and outside … Continued The post Episode 52: How the Be...

Details If you choose an individual to lead you to victory or safety, chances are you will choose the most confident person. Their confidence will inspire and motivate you to achieve great things. That’s what makes them great leaders. But there is a darker side to the confidence that erodes trust and turns away once eager … Continued The post Episode 50: Balancing Confidence and Competence first a...

Details Over the last couple of years, we have all experienced the importance the empathy in the workplace. We’ve had a rough time and it’s important to know your boss actually cares about you. Last year, the character Ted Lasso appeared on Apple TV’s new hit comedy show and taught us all some profound lessons … Continued The post Episode 49: Lessons in Empathy and Competitiveness from Ted Lasso f...

Details The great resignation has arrived. As new managers fill vacancies created by retiring Boomers, how do their skills compare with the seasoned older managers they replace? In this episode, we are uncovering what younger managers should know about how they’re perceived. Connect with Jack Zenger LinkedIn Twitter Webinar Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live … Continued The post Episode 48: Wh...

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 … Continued The post Episode 47: Three Myths About Your Str...

Details Have you ever questioned whether you or your direct reports are being as productive as they can be?  With the flexibility to work anywhere and anytime, how do you stay connected with your team and manager to maintain trust and signal productivity. In today’s episode, we discuss the five behaviors that indicate productivity. Connect … Continued The post Episode 46: Are Employees At Home Act...

Details This has been an extremely challenging year. Many are hopeful about the progress that has been made but others still feel disconnected and discouraged. They lament that their current work has begun to feel stale. Yes, social isolation has compounded that. Working from home, while it has some benefits, also has many challenges. The … Continued The post Episode 45: Why Do You Work? Finding P...

Details There are many new struggles with dealing with a hybrid workforce. While the increased independence has benefited organizational productivity, we still laying the ground rules for this reformed way of working. In this episode, we will discuss the benefits and struggles of increased independence in the workplace. Connect with Joe Folkman LinkedIn Twitter Webinar … Continued The post Episode...

Details How is the issue of personal accountability viewed in your organization?  Seasoned workers have undoubtedly seen their share of finger-pointing, dishonesty, and “CYOA.” However, personal accountability is a critical step toward improving leadership.  In this episode, we are discussing how when people are accountable for their own decisions the effectiveness of an organization can greatly …...

Details There is a great deal of interest today in our society on the topics of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.  While some people are flat-out biased the larger portion deal with an unconscious bias they often don’t recognize. In this episode, we’re exploring the benefits of 360 feedback tools that enable the gathering of sensitive … Continued The post Episode 42: Uncovering Unconscious Bias...

Details Remember that event that happened in 2020 that kind of disrupted your life? It turns out that despite all the chaos that happened last year employee engagement increased.  In this episode, we explore the new behaviors that led to this sudden increase in employee engagement. Connect with Joe Folkman LinkedIn Twitter Webinar Zenger Folkman … Continued The post Episode 41: 5 New Skills That I...

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 … Continued The post Episode 40: The C...

Details Are the individual contributors in your organization leaders? Are their “hard” skills the only type of useful skills they possess at that level? When it comes to those sitting on the lower levels of the corporate ladder, there are many controversial views of the value of developing “soft” skills for the “worker bees.” In … Continued The post Episode 39: The Battle of Soft Skills and Hard S...

Details The pandemic rapidly accelerated many companies’ digital efforts, but did you possess the digital expertise necessary to function in a completely new work environment? Sure you’ve had a year to work on your zoom skills, but are you running with the rest of your team, or do still feel like you are lagging behind … Continued The post Episode 38: How To Build Digital Expertise first appeared...

Details A high-potential employee is usually in the top 5% of employees in an organization. These people are thought to be the organization’s most capable, most motivated, and most likely to ascend to positions of responsibility and power. To help these employees prepare for leadership roles in a thoughtful, efficient manner, companies often institute formal … Continued The post Episode 37: Compan...

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 … Continued The post Episode 36: Why the Most Productive People Don’t Always Make...

Details Is there someone on your team who seems unusually productive? Someone who gets a huge amount done — without working longer hours? How do they do it? That’s what their coworkers usually wonder. We wanted to know too. In this episode, we share the results from a study with 7,000 employees showing which skills define these … Continued The post Episode 35: 7 Traits of Super Productive People f...

Details Is there someone on your team who seems unusually productive? Someone who gets a huge amount done — without working longer hours? How do they do it? That’s what their coworkers usually wonder. We wanted to know too. In this episode, we share the results from a study with 7,000 showing which skills define these super … Continued The post Episode 35: 7 Traits of Super-Productive People first...

Details You can’t make every worker happy, surely, and should a business even try? Evidence from our recent research suggests, actually, that the answer is yes. Or rather, our evidence shows that managers are giving up far too soon on their disgruntled employees, making them less productive than they could be, exposing their companies to … Continued The post Episode 34: Are You Creating Disgruntle...

Chip Conley, the author of Emotional Equations and former Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy at Airbnb, joins Dr. Jack Zenger and Dr. Joe Folkman in this edition of the Zenger Folkman podcast series to discuss the role of an elder in offering advice and direction to a younger generation. He draws from personal experiences … Continued The post Bonus Episode: Our Roles in Modern Business, with Ch...

Expecting to change the culture of any size organization is quite realistic. It starts with strong and sustained leadership rippling out from the senior leadership team. After all taking responsibility is the highest mark of great leaders. In this episode, we are diving into the struggles of developing a company culture with the founder of The … Continued The post Episode 33: 5 Steps to Shift Your...

Details Do you ever feel pressure and urgency to generate fresh, new ideas or make time to be innovative? Our economy is driven by innovation– new products, new ways to deliver, and new methods to serve. All of these require creativity.  A 2015 study on Global Innovation reported that U.S. companies spend $145 billion dollars on … Continued The post Episode 32: Innovation– The Forgotten Leadership...