My VP of Finance is a high Follow Thru who needs strict procedural adherence, and my VP of Growth is a high Quick Start who moves fast and breaks things. Their constant friction is paralyzing our leadership meetings because neither respects the other's natural operating method. How do I resolve this systemic conative clash?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When two leaders clash due to opposing conative styles, the conflict is rarely personal. It is usually a predictable friction between different problem-solving instincts. A high Follow Thru VP of Finance naturally seeks structured systems, predictability, and detailed processes. A high Quick Start VP of Growth naturally thrives on rapid experimentation, risk-taking, and constant change. To resolve this friction, you must make their conative profiles visible and discussed openly. Use the Kolbe A™ Index to help both leaders understand each other's instinctive modes of operation. Draw their scores on a whiteboard during a private meeting and walk them through how their natural problem-solving styles differ. Show them that the VP of Finance is not trying to slow things down, and the VP of Growth is not trying to create chaos. They are simply responding to their hard-wired striving instincts. Once they understand this, establish clean operational boundaries. Agree on how and when the VP of Growth can experiment, and set clear parameters for when the VP of Finance must step in to build systems. Teach them to use their differences as complementary strengths rather than sources of frustration. When they learn to respect each other's natural conative approach, they will stop fighting and start collaborating to build a highly balanced, resilient business.