One of our top leaders is meeting their scorecard metrics but seems increasingly stressed and disengaged, and we suspect they are forcing themselves to act against their natural instincts. How do we diagnose and resolve this conative stress before they burn out and quit?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a high-performing leader hits their numbers but is clearly burning out, you are likely dealing with severe conative stress. This happens when an individual is forced to work against their natural problem-solving instincts to meet the demands of their seat.

To diagnose this, compare the leader's Kolbe A Index with their Kolbe B Index. The Kolbe A measures their innate, unchanging conative strengths, while the Kolbe B measures their self-expectations of what their job requires. A significant mismatch between these two profiles indicates that they are exerting massive mental energy to adapt to their role.

For example, a leader with a natural instinct to prevent risk and follow structured processes may be struggling in a seat that demands constant, rapid change and unstructured problem-solving.

Once you identify this conative gap, you must address it directly. Look at their seat on the Accountability Chart™ and determine if certain roles can be shifted or delegated.

You may need to realign their responsibilities to better match their natural Modus Operandi. By reducing this conative stress, you protect your leadership talent, restore their engagement, and ensure the long-term health of your organization.