The Zenger Folkman International Partners Conference was held on May 16-17, 2024, at the Zermatt Utah Resort and Spa in Midway, Utah. The resort is in the Heber Valley, with views of the spectacular Wasatch Mountains. In attendance were Zenger Folkman’s international partners from 14 countries: Chile, Denmark, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
The Positive Impact of Sustained Leadership
The conference featured presentations of new services by Zenger Folkman and success stories by Zenger Folkman’s partners from Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain.
One of the more compelling parts of the conference was a presentation by the firm’s co-founder and CEO, Jack Zenger, that demonstrated the powerfully positive impact of a sustained leadership development program.
One of Zenger Folkman’s long-term clients has been an insurance company. Looking at the 360-degree assessment results of this company over time (from 2015 to 2023), Zenger Folkman saw that batches of managers taking the assessment for the first time scored higher on average than previous batches. Also, the percentage of superstar leaders – those scoring at the 90th percentile or higher – significantly increased over time. The conclusions? Leadership of direct reports is contagious.
As the first set of leaders to get a 360-degree assessment worked on upgrading their leadership capabilities, their direct reports picked up on the better approach to leadership and themselves started to elevate their leadership capabilities. It becomes a virtuous cycle.
Excellent leadership exhibited by the best leaders trickles down to their direct reports (and the opposite is true: poor leaders tend to pull down the effectiveness of their direct reports). What do we learn from this?
A rising tide lifts all boats: elevated leadership capabilities of managers lift the leadership capabilities of those who report to them. Again, here was highly compelling evidence that a sustained approach to leadership development – one that incorporates the use of a 360-degree assessment so progress can be quantified over time – provides a path for sustained leadership improvement, a healthier business environment, and an elevated corporate culture.
Measuring Team Trust
Going beyond the measurement of individual leadership capabilities, Zenger Folkman has a promising new service entitled Team Trust. Members of a team are asked to complete a survey in which they assess their team along three dimensions proven to be critical to team trust: relationships, consistency, and expertise/execution.
A report is generated that shows graphically how one’s team performs along these dimensions of trust and compares that performance with a global norm along the 25th and 75th percentiles. The report shows team members how their team rates in 18 areas critical to team trust and provides them with a structured approach to creating a plan for improving overall team trust.
As companies increasingly emphasize team effectiveness, they now have a compelling tool from Zenger Folkman that allows them to measure team trust, the foundational element of team effectiveness.
Success Stories
Presentations by international partners from Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain outlined their success stories in selling and implementing Zenger Folkman services. Two of those stories – from Mexico and the Netherlands – detailed the use of Zenger Folkman by universities.
The Japanese partner described how it had deployed Zenger Folkman’s assessment services to elevate the leadership capabilities of the international subsidiaries of a major Japanese corporation. Zenger Folkman’s partner from Spain told the story of how their company had moved on after the sudden death of its inspirational founding partner. Those who remained in the company retained their belief in and passion for their company’s leadership services, a cornerstone of which is the Zenger Folkman 360-degree assessment.
Post-Conference Fun
It was not all work and no play at this Zenger Folkman conference. On the first day, for the adventurous, there was the opportunity to drive all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) over a rocky path up a mountain and through muddy patches – with a rewarding view of the spectacular Wasatch Mountains. On the final day of the conference, we took a bus to Cascade Springs and enjoyed an uplifting walk along the springs, which included the rare sighting of a moose!
John Clements, which has had a relationship with Zenger Folkman for over a decade, was given a Zenger Folkman Growth Club award, recognizing that John Clements’ sales of Zenger Folkman’s services had risen in 2023 compared to 2022.
An inspiring mountain setting, good friends from around the world, and stimulating conversations about how leadership effectiveness is being advanced – all this made for a terrific conference!
Learn more about the Zenger Folkman leadership development program today.
