Two of our department heads are in a state of constant, exhausting conflict, but when we look at their Kolbe A profiles, their conative strengths seem highly compatible. What are we missing here, and how do we diagnose this hidden source of friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leaders with compatible Kolbe A profiles are in constant conflict, the friction is usually caused by a mismatch between their natural conative strengths and their perceived job requirements. This is where you must look at the Kolbe B Index. While the Kolbe A measures a person's innate, hard-wired instincts, the Kolbe B measures their self-expectations, meaning how they believe they must behave to be successful in their current seat. If a leader has a massive gap between their natural conative strengths (Kolbe A) and their perceived job requirements (Kolbe B), they are experiencing severe conative strain. This strain drains their mental energy, making them highly reactive, defensive, and prone to lashing out at their peers. To diagnose this, administer the Kolbe B Index to both department heads and compare the results to their Kolbe A profiles. Look for areas where they feel forced to operate against their natural instincts. For example, a leader who is naturally a low Fact Finder but believes their seat requires them to do exhaustive research will be under constant stress. Once you identify these gaps, you can adjust their daily responsibilities or reshape their seat on the Accountability Chart to better align with their natural talents. By eliminating this internal conative strain, you will restore their emotional capacity, which will naturally defuse the external peer conflict and bring harmony back to your leadership team.