Most of our leadership team has very low Follow Thru scores on the Kolbe A Index. We are highly creative and love launching new Rocks, but we struggle to build the lasting systems to run them, leaving our middle managers exhausted. How do we fix this execution gap?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team made up entirely of low Follow Thru thinkers is a recipe for operational chaos. You are great at initiating change, but you lack the instinctive drive to systematize, leading to half-built processes and severe middle-manager burnout. To fix this, you must structurally address this conative gap on your Accountability Chart. First, look at your Integrator. The Integrator must have a strong Follow Thru score to serve as the structural anchor of the business. If they do not, you must delegate system design to someone who does. Review your Accountability Chart and ensure you have at least one seat on the leadership team occupied by a strong Follow Thru leader, typically in operations or finance, who has the authority to veto or pause new initiatives until the current systems are stabilized. Second, enforce a strict rule during your quarterly planning: no new Rocks can be approved unless there is a clear, written plan on how the system will be built and who will run it. Implement the EOS concept of simplifying and documenting your core processes. By forcing the team to focus on documenting the critical steps, you prevent the constant pivoting that is draining your organization.