The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Details Emotional intelligence has dominated leadership conversations for years—and for good reason. Leaders who listen, empathize, and build strong relationships create healthier, more engaged teams. But what if EQ isn’t the primary capability driving leadership effectiveness? Drawing on a global dataset of 128,000 leaders and 360-degree feedback from over a million raters, they explore what happens when strategic perspective and emotional intelligence are placed head-to-head. This episode reframes a long-standing leadership debate and offers a practical roadmap for leaders and organizations deciding where to focus their development efforts next. If you’re responsible for building leaders who can navigate complexity, inspire confidence, and lead through uncertainty, this conversation may change how you think about leadership capability altogether. Register for our upcoming webinar on this topic. Key Points 1. Strategic Perspective Is a Leadership Multiplier While emotional intelligence remains important, strategic perspective magnifies a leader’s overall effectiveness. Leaders strong in strategy outperform across 14 critical leadership behaviors—far more than leaders who rely primarily on EQ. 2. Strategic Clarity Enhances Communication and Trust Contrary to popular belief, leaders with strong strategic thinking communicate more powerfully and inspire greater commitment. Clear reasoning behind decisions reduces uncertainty and builds trust across teams. 3. EQ Alone Doesn’t Drive Innovation or Change Leaders high in EQ but low in strategic capability outperform in only two areas—integrity and collaboration. Without strategic perspective, leaders struggle to innovate, take risks, and champion meaningful change. 4. Empathy Is Most Effective When Paired with Direction Caring about people isn’t enough. Strategic leaders ground empathy in action by helping teams understand where the organization is headed and how they fit into the future. 5. Strategic Capability Can Be Developed—At Every Level Strategic thinking isn’t reserved for executives. Through coaching, scenario planning, and cross-functional exposure, leaders at all levels can build strategic perspective and dramatically increase their impact. 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 post Episode 179: Strategic Expertise vs. Emotional Intelligence—Which Drives Leadership Success? first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details In this episode of The 90th Percentile, we dive into the shifting landscape of Learning and Development (L&D) with Dani Johnson, co-founder and principal analyst at RedThread Research. Dani explores the concerning trend of L&D’s “demotion” within organizations, the rise of federated models, and the opportunities for L&D leaders to adapt and thrive. Together, we unpack the critical strategies and skills needed to maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving business environment. Guest BIO: Dani Johnson, Co-Founder & Principal Analyst  Before co-founding RedThread in 2018, Dani led the Learning and Career research practice at Bersin, Deloitte, and previously led research at the Ross School, University of Michigan. Dani holds an MBA and a MS and BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from BYU. Before Kid, her favorite vacations involved a backpack, a map, and Google Translate. Key Learnings L&D’s Changing Role: Many organizations are shifting away from centralized L&D functions, favoring federated models where teams embed within business units to solve targeted problems while maintaining a connection to the core strategy. The Pandemic’s Impact: During the pandemic, L&D focused on transitioning in-person training online instead of strategically addressing workforce skill gaps, missing an opportunity to enhance their strategic influence. Critical Elements for a Modern L&D Strategy: Successful L&D strategies require attention to five core elements, collaboration with other departments, and a balance of stability and flexibility to meet organizational needs. AI’s Role in L&D: Artificial intelligence is transforming L&D by streamlining content creation, identifying skill gaps, and enhancing personalization. However, most L&D professionals have yet to fully embrace AI’s potential. Building Organizational Influence: L&D professionals must actively engage with organizational strategy, speak the language of business leaders, and ensure their contributions align with key business metrics like retention and skill development. Connect with Joe Folkman LinkedIn Twitter Webinar 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.The post Episode 154: Is Learning and Development Being Demoted? first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

Details Trust is the foundation of any high-performing team, but in today’s fast-paced, uncertain business environment, building and maintaining trust has become more challenging than ever. Research shows that trust isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a leadership behavior that impacts everything from team collaboration to overall business performance. So, how can organizations create a culture where trust thrives? In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Schmadeke, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at BJ’s Wholesale. Since joining BJ’s in 2018, he has played a critical role in expanding field and fresh operations, overseeing distribution transitions, and driving key growth initiatives. With deep experience in retail and grocery operations, including leadership roles at Albertsons and Safeway, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge on how trust impacts both teams and large-scale operations. We’ll dive into the role of trust in leadership, how trust influences team performance, and the strategies Scott and his team use to embed trust into BJ’s Wholesale’s culture. Whether you’re in HR, organizational development, or leadership development, you’ll walk away with practical insights on how to build and sustain trust in your teams. Learn more about Zenger Folkman Team Trust program.  Key Learnings 1. Trust Is Contagious, But Not Easily Built Scott emphasized that trust spreads within an organization much like it does in personal relationships—it develops over time through consistent behaviors, transparency, and reliability. However, he also cautioned that trust can be fragile and easily derailed if not nurtured. 2. The Link Between Trust and Business Performance Scott shared insights from BJ’s engagement surveys, revealing that clubs with higher levels of trust also tended to perform better. He noted that trust impacts coaching, team collaboration, and overall business success, making it a critical driver for high-performing teams. 3. Consistency Is the Hardest Trust Factor to Maintain Among the three key levers of trust—relationships, expertise, and consistency—Scott identified consistency as the most challenging to sustain. In the fast-paced retail environment, pressures can cause lapses in consistency, which can erode trust. He emphasized the need for repeatable messaging and clear priorities to maintain stability. 4. Trust as a Competitive Advantage in Crisis Management Discussing challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions (such as egg shortages), Scott highlighted how BJ’s built trust with team members and customers by focusing on transparency, proactive communication, and reliability. He stressed that crisis moments are the ultimate test of trust and can either strengthen or weaken an organization’s culture. 5. Practical Steps for HR and Organizational Leaders For HR and organizational development professionals looking to embed trust in their culture, Scott advised moving beyond rhetoric and ensuring trust is reflected in leadership behaviors, decision-making, and business practices. He highlighted the importance of structured coaching, clear communication, and ensuring team members understand their roles and expectations. Upcoming Webinar 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.The post Episode 157: Team Trust at BJ’s Wholesale Club with Scott Schmadeke first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

David Rock, co-founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute, dives into the neuroscience behind feedback in the workplace. He reveals how giving and receiving feedback can trigger stress responses and explains the difference between authoritarian and servant leadership styles. Rock emphasizes the need for leaders to invite feedback to foster growth. He also discusses the importance of creating a supportive environment that encourages open communication and highlights the transformative potential of neuroleadership in improving feedback systems.

Details The 360-degree assessment is a central component in most leadership development programs. But not all assessments are in the same class when it comes to the value they offer individual leaders and the benefits they offer the organizations using them. In this episode, we will discuss the eight elements that separate the average from the best 360-degree assessments on the market. Connect with Joe Folkman LinkedIn Twitter 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 at https://zengerfolkman.com/webinar-registration/. Additional Resources: 11 Components of a Best-in-Class 360-Degree Assessment -In this white paper, the authors outline the crucial elements for a best-in-class 360-degree assessment. Music: Pleasant PicturesThe post Episode 25: Elements of the Best 360-Degree Assessments first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.

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 surprising paradox: women are rated higher overall than men by colleagues who work directly with them, yet consistently rated lower on the very competencies most associated with executive advancement—like strategic thinking and external perspective. Together, Bre and Joe explore why this “perception gap” persists, how it quietly reinforces the leadership glass ceiling, and what organizations and leaders can do right now to create fairer, more accurate evaluations. With insights spanning global data, behavioral science, and practical organizational solutions, this episode is essential listening for HR leaders, executives, and anyone committed to advancing equity in leadership. Key Points 1. The Data Tells a Different Story Than Stereotypes Real workplace evaluations—not hypothetical scenarios—show that female leaders are rated slightly more effective overall by both male and female colleagues. This contradicts many assumptions about gender bias in leadership performance. 2. A “Perception Gap” Is Blocking Female Advancement Despite high overall effectiveness, women receive lower ratings on strategic thinking, technical expertise, and external influence—competencies disproportionately tied to promotions into senior roles. This subtle gap plays a real role in why fewer women reach the C-suite. 3. Bias Isn’t Just Male vs. Female—It’s Cultural Conditioning Both men and women showed the same rating patterns, revealing that these perceptions come from deeply ingrained narratives about what leadership looks like, not simple in-group or out-group preference. 4. Organizations Can Close the Gap With Small, Intentional Changes Structured promotion rubrics, diverse decision-making committees, and equitable access to strategic assignments dramatically increase fairness. Individual women can also counteract perception gaps by actively building visibility around strategic work and external influence. 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 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 some of the puzzle pieces that we believe are missing to make more progress happen. Key Points The main thing driving success in leadership development is the commitment and involvement of the senior leadership team, because there are some important elements in developing leaders that only they can make happen.  It can’t be delegated to HR. Rather than an increase in leadership effectiveness happening as leaders age, the results show a steady decline. Bottom line: there has simply not been a concerted, deliberate effort to ensure people learn from their on-the-job experience. Worse yet, the term learning may have become the ultimate rabbit hole.  Effective leadership is defined by our behavior, not the information residing in our brains. Make “after-action reviews” a way of life. Take time to analyze the original intentions of a project and compare it to what actually happened. Agree on what should be repeated and avoided in the future. Discover each direct report’s career aspirations. What do they need or want to learn? What experiences would they benefit from having? Self-awareness is vital for long-term success. Everyone can benefit from an external, objective assessment from the people they work with. Participate eagerly in a 360-degree feedback process. Connect with Jack Zenger LinkedIn Twitter Webinar 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. Research Transforming Leadership Development: Are We Missing the Main Thing? – Article by Jack ZengerThe 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 weaknesses are fundamentally flawed, how strengths-based growth aligns with neuroscience and motivation, and what organizations can do to make leadership development more personal, powerful, and tied to real business outcomes. Whether you’re a leader, coach, or HR professional, this episode reframes how you think about growth and effectiveness. Learn more about Zenger Folkman’s strength-based approach to leadership development. Key Points Fixing weaknesses doesn’t create excellence. Unless a leader has a fatal flaw, focusing development on strengths produces far greater performance gains than trying to eliminate weaknesses. Extraordinary leaders are “spiky,” not well-rounded. Top-performing leaders excel in a few key areas that create outsized impact—they don’t master all 19 competencies. Development accelerates when it aligns with your wiring. Building on existing strengths taps into established neural pathways, making learning faster, more energizing, and more sustainable. Effective growth happens at the intersection of three elements: individual strengths, organizational needs, and personal passion. When those align, development drives measurable business results. Strengths-based development works—and the data proves it. In Zenger Folkman’s studies, 85% of leaders who used this approach showed statistically significant improvement in leadership effectiveness and measurable team outcomes. 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 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 to leadership. We’re joined by Alistair Skellern (Arcadia) to explore the data, the culture, and the practices behind this multi-year transformation. Learn how building a few profound strengths—not just fixing weaknesses—created measurable gains in performance, engagement, and leader pipeline. You can visit Arcadia Consulting’s website to watch additional interviews  on this Jotun leadership case study. Key Point Strengths > gap-fixing: Jotun’s biggest gains came from magnifying a few profound strengths per leader—making development feel energizing and personalized rather than remedial. Measure what matters, then retest: A disciplined 360-feedback cadence (with executive participation) built credibility, a shared language, and visible progress over five years. Push insights earlier in careers: Moving The Extraordinary Leader assessment down the leadership pipeline (not just for senior leaders) accelerated readiness and internal mobility. Balance “results” and “relationships”: Interpersonal skills and learning agility were strong; bolder decision-making, initiative, and championing change became the focused next step. Culture raises the bar: As great leadership became more common, tolerance for poor leadership dropped—the “shadow effect”—creating healthy pressure to sustain excellence. 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 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 with analysis paralysis or looking to empower better decisions throughout your organization, this episode offers practical, research-backed insights you can apply immediately. Key Point Decision-making is harder today due to information overload, uncertainty, and stakeholder complexity. Effective decision-makers create highly engaged teams—the best leaders scored 86th percentile in effectiveness and their teams 77th in engagement. The top decision-makers consistently demonstrate seven key behaviors, including anticipating problems, acting quickly, focusing on priorities, balancing risk, and building trust. Trust is the foundation that accelerates decision speed and quality by reducing friction and bureaucracy. Great leaders build decision-making cultures, empowering people at every level to act with clarity, confidence, and alignment. 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 post Episode 175: 7 Key Leadership Behaviors of the Most Effective Decision Makers first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.