Our leadership team is completely missing a specific conative strength, and as a result, our execution is chaotic. How do we diagnose and patch this conative gap before hiring someone?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leadership team shares the same conative strengths, they often share the same blind spots. If your team is packed with high Quick Starts who love starting new ideas, but completely lacks high Follow Thru energy, you will suffer from chronic operational chaos, half-finished projects, and inconsistent processes.

First, diagnose the gap by mapping every leader's Kolbe A Index results onto a single grid. This visual map will reveal where your team has conative abundance and where you have conative deserts. If you see a complete absence of scores in the seven-to-ten range for Follow Thru, you have identified the root cause of your execution problem.

Before rushing to hire an outside executive, look for ways to patch this gap internally. Use the Accountability Chart to shift responsibilities. You may have an existing team member with a mid-range Follow Thru score who can be delegated to design and maintain systems, provided they are freed from roles that demand constant innovation.

Additionally, lean heavily on your meeting pulse and EOS tools. If you lack natural systemizers, you must rely on strict adherence to the Level 10 Meeting agenda and the Three-Step Process Documenter. Do not rely on natural instinct; use the tools as your synthetic discipline.

Finally, when you do make your next hire, use the Kolbe profile as a key filter. Do not hire another copy of yourself. If your team lacks Follow Thru or Implementor energy, specifically seek candidates who bring those strengths to the table to balance your executive ecosystem.