Jack Zenger, a leadership expert and co-founder of Zenger Folkman, dives into the balancing act of speed and quality in the workplace. He reveals insights from over 50,000 leaders, showcasing that top performers don’t choose between urgency and excellence. Zenger discusses five key behaviors that enable leaders to achieve dual performance and argues that while AI boosts productivity, it cannot replicate human judgment. He also highlights how task interruptions can undermine quality, emphasizing the need for focused, uninterrupted work.
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insights INSIGHT
Speed And Quality Coexist
Speed strongly correlates with perceived leadership effectiveness across large samples of leaders.
Top performers combine speed and quality rather than trading one for the other.
insights INSIGHT
Five Behaviors That Drive Dual Performance
Five behaviors distinguish leaders who are both fast and effective: trusted decision-making, clear vision, personal courage, access to expertise, and stretch goals.
These behaviors reduce hesitation and create momentum toward results.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use AI As A Capacity Multiplier
Use AI to expand capacity by handling volume tasks like drafting and summarizing.
Continue to apply human judgment for nuance, ethics, originality, and final decisions.
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In today’s episode of The 90th Percentile, we challenge one of the most persistent myths in modern work: that you must choose between speed and excellence. As AI accelerates productivity at lightning pace, many leaders are wondering—can humans keep up without compromising quality?
Dr. Jack Zenger joins us to share groundbreaking research from over 50,000 leaders and 700,000 multi-rater feedback surveys to prove that top leaders don’t choose—they master both. We explore:
What separates fast-and-effective leaders from the rest
The five key behaviors that enable dual performance
Why AI can increase volume but not value
How interruptions silently erode quality
And how high-performing organizations protect time for deep work
Whether you’re leading a team or navigating your own workday, this episode offers practical advice for thriving in a world that demands both urgency and rigor.
Key Points
Speed and quality are not trade-offs—they’re traits of top performers. 95% of top leaders in the Zenger Folkman study were rated both fast and effective.
The best leaders master five behaviors that drive dual performance: Trusted decision-making, clear vision, personal courage, access to expertise, and setting stretch goals.
AI accelerates volume—but can’t replace human judgment. Use AI to expand capacity, not to substitute nuance, ethics, or originality.
Interruptions kill quality. Cognitive residue from task-switching reduces performance—even when extra time is given. Deep work requires protected time.
Great leaders switch intentionally between responsiveness and reflection. The ability to balance quick action with strategic thought is a defining trait of effective leadership.
Webinar
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 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast 