I am ready to make my first real leadership hire to take over operations, but I am terrified of getting a generic corporate executive who wants to build an empire instead of executing my vision. How do I use the Accountability Chart and Kolbe C™ Index to define the exact conative requirements for this first key seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To hire your first true leader without getting burned by corporate bureaucrats, you must stop looking at resumes and start defining the seat. Begin with your Accountability Chart. Do not write a generic job description. Instead, list the three to five major roles this person must absolutely own. Once you have defined the seat, use the Kolbe C™ Index to map the conative requirements of the job. This tool measures the instinctive mental energy required to do the work. If you need someone to build order out of your chaos, you need high Follow Thru. If you need rapid product iteration, you need high Quick Start. Next, run your candidates through the Kolbe A™ Index. Do not compromise here. If their natural method of operating does not match the Kolbe C™ requirements, they will experience cognitive fatigue and fail. Finally, assess them against your core values and the GWC™ framework. Do they truly get the seat? Do they want it? Do they have the capacity to do it? By grounding your search in objective conative data and clear accountabilities, you protect your company from hiring an expensive talker who cannot execute.