Podcasts

Using over 1.5 million assessments from leaders worldwide, renowned psychometrician Dr. Joseph Folkman and leadership legend Dr. Jack Zenger are here to settle the debates and let the data speak for itself. Each week they analyze different leadership traits, trends, and what it really takes to get to the 90th percentile. These short episodes feature compelling stories, research, and actions that leaders can take to improve.

Episode 187: The Future of Employee Development

The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Published: June, 2026

The Future of Employee Development

For decades, employee development has largely been reserved for leaders and high-potential talent. But as organizations face growing succession challenges, talent shortages, and a rapidly changing workforce, many are beginning to ask an important question:

What about everyone else?

In this episode of The 90th Percentile, BreAnne Okoren sits down with Susan Christensen to discuss the hidden development gap affecting organizations today. Together, they explore why traditional development models leave so many employees behind, how that impacts engagement and succession readiness, and what organizations can do to build a stronger talent pipeline from the ground up

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why succession challenges are really development challenges
How the retirement of Baby Boomers is exposing weaknesses in organizational talent pipelines
Why employees don’t need leadership titles to deserve meaningful development
What happens when development opportunities are reserved for only a small percentage of the workforce
The barriers that have historically made development difficult to scale
How Extraordinary You was designed to bring research-based development to individual contributors earlier in their careers

Whether you’re an HR leader, talent development professional, manager, or executive, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how organizations can create a more engaged, capable, and future-ready workforce.

Interested in bringing Extraordinary You to your organization?

Visit Zenger Folkman to learn how Extraordinary You helps individual contributors identify their strengths, accelerate their development, and make a greater impact—long before they step into formal leadership roles.