The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Details Are workplace evaluations truly objective—or do subtle perceptions still shape how we see male and female leaders differently? In this episode, host Bre Okoren sits down with leadership researcher Joe Folkman to unpack one of the largest real-world analyses ever conducted on gender and leadership effectiveness. Drawing from 12,000+ 360-degree evaluations, Joe reveals a … Continued The post Episode 178: The Hidden Truth About Gender and Leadership Ratings first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

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

Details Consider this episode your Strengths-Based Leadership 101. BreAnne and Joe revisit the foundation of Zenger Folkman’s entire leadership philosophy — the data-driven insight that extraordinary leaders are not well-rounded; they’re exceptional in a few distinctive areas that matter most. Drawing from over 100,000 leadership assessments, Joe explains why traditional development programs focused on fixing … Continued The post Episode 177: Why Strengths-Based Development Outperforms Traditional Methods first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details In this special episode of The 90th Percentile, we unpack how Jotun—the Norway-based, family-owned paints and coatings company operating in 100+ countries—elevated leadership effectiveness using Zenger Folkman’s Extraordinary Leader program. Partnering with Arcadia Consulting, Jotun moved from a baseline well below industry average to outperforming peers, all by doubling down on a strengths-based approach … Continued The post Episode 176 Jotun: A Case Study in Extraordinary Leadership first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details What separates the best decision-makers from the rest? In this episode, Joe Folkman shares research on nearly 16,000 leaders to reveal seven key qualities that enable effective decision-making. Discover why information overload slows decisions down, how to balance speed with quality, and the surprising link between decision-making effectiveness and employee engagement. If you’re struggling … Continued The post Episode 175: 7 Key Leadership Behaviors of the Most Effective Decision Makers first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details In this episode of The 90th Percentile, we sit down with Kathleen Crenshaw and Christopher Bisgrove from Desert Financial Credit Union to explore how they are rethinking leadership development and investing in people. From building programs that reach leaders earlier in their careers to making learning opportunities more accessible, Desert Financial shares the principles … Continued The post Episode 174: Making Development Popular with Desert Financial Credit Union first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details What if great leadership could go viral? In this episode of The 90th Percentile Podcast, Dr. Jack Zenger joins BreAnne Okoren to explore how positive leadership behaviors—like openness, respect, and accountability—spread through organizations and transform cultures. Drawing on decades of research, Jack reveals why developing leaders at scale creates psychological safety, sparks innovation, and … Continued The post Episode 173: The Surprising Way Leadership Behaviors Go Viral at Work first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details Psychological safety is not a new term anymore, but it has matured into a foundational leadership capability, much like communication or trust no longer a “nice to have,” but a critical driver of collaboration, retention, and innovation. Drawing on Amy Edmondson’s groundbreaking research and Zenger Folkman’s data from 18,000 employees, they unpack the eight leadership behaviors that … Continued The post Episode 172: Why Psychological Safety Matters More Than Ever first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details Dr. Susan David is a founder and co-director of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital of Harvard Medical School and an Instructor in Psychology at Harvard University. In this episode, Susan discusses her research on emotional agility and how to master challenges without getting derailed. Download the eBook of her full interview here. Guest … Continued The post Bonus Episode– Susan David, Emotional Agility first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details In today’s episode, we’re unpacking the results of a massive leadership study — over 63,000 assessments — to answer one key question: What makes certain leaders truly unforgettable? We’ll explore the 10 specific behaviors that set the most exceptional leaders apart, backed by real-world examples from sports, business, and history. Whether you work in … Continued The post Episode 171: Memorable Leadership—10 Behaviors That Make Leaders Unforgettable first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.