I am a Visionary founder ready to hire our first external Integrator to free myself up, but I am terrified of hiring another high-energy promoter who is just like me. How do we use conative profiling, specifically the Kolbe Index, to define the exact behavioral profile of the Integrator seat before we start interviewing candidates?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When Visionaries hire their first Integrator, they often make the mistake of hiring someone they like, which usually means another Visionary. This results in two people looking at the horizon while nobody runs the business. You need a complement, not a clone.

To avoid this, you must define the conative requirements of the Integrator seat using the Kolbe Index before you review a single resume. As a Visionary, you likely score high in Quick Start, meaning you excel at initiating change, taking risks, and operating in chaos. Your Integrator must possess the opposite strengths.

Look for an Integrator with a high Follow Thru score, which indicates a natural, instinctive drive to create order, build structured systems, and design repeatable processes. They should also have a strong Fact Finder score, meaning they gather deep information, analyze data, and make decisions based on logic rather than gut feel.

By establishing these Kolbe benchmarks for the seat, you create an objective filter. During interviews, do not just focus on their past resume or their personality. Look at how they instinctively solve problems. A true Integrator will immediately want to see your systems, organize your chaos, and build a plan to execute your V/TO. If a candidate is highly charismatic but lacks the conative drive to follow through on details, they belong in sales or marketing, not the Integrator seat.