I am an owner currently trapped in four seats on our Accountability Chart and suffering from severe burnout. How do I use a conative assessment like the Kolbe A Index to figure out which seat I must vacate first?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When you are sitting in multiple seats on your Accountability Chart, you are running yourself into the ground and dragging your business down with you. To escape this trap and prepare your business for a clean exit, you must use objective data to decide which seat to vacate first. The Kolbe A Index is the perfect tool for this because it measures your conative mind, which is your natural, instinctive way of taking action.

Start by taking the Kolbe A Index to identify your specific four-digit Modus Operandi across Fact Finder, Follow Through, Quick Start, and Implementor. Next, evaluate the core responsibilities of each of the four seats you currently occupy, such as Visionary, Integrator, Sales, and Operations.

Compare your natural instincts with the requirements of each seat. If you have a low Follow Through score, meaning you naturally resist creating detailed systems and structures, but you are sitting in the Integrator or Operations seat, you are experiencing severe conative stress. This mismatch is the primary source of your burnout and operational friction.

The data will make your path forward incredibly clear. You must first vacate the seat that represents the greatest mismatch to your conative profile. If your conative strengths lie in initiating ideas and taking risks, which is a high Quick Start, then you must remain in the Visionary seat and immediately hire or promote someone with a high Follow Through score to take over the Integrator or Operations seat. By aligning your exit strategy with your conative reality, you protect your energy and build a stable leadership team that buyers will trust.