In this eye-opening conversation, host Eric Herrera sits down with Marit Peters, President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas and recent winner of the Kolbe Professional Award for Individual Leadership in Building Conative Excellence. With over 20 years of experience transforming teams across industries—from aviation startups to medical laboratories to insurance agencies—Marit reveals how she uses Kolbe to predict team success with startling accuracy. 

Discover why diversity of strengths matters more than you think, learn the "silent brainstorming" technique that ensures every team member contributes, and find out why Marit refuses to work with clients who won't embrace this approach. Whether you're building a startup from scratch, stuck in unproductive meetings, or wondering why your team can't finish projects, this episode will change how you hire, coach, and collaborate forever. 

Host: Eric Herrera, VP of Growth and Strategic Alliances @ Kolbe Corp (Kolbe: 5-3-9-2)  

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡Name: Marit Peters, President & Executive Director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) (5-3-9-2)

💡What she does: Marit has spent more than 20 years helping organizations go from stuck to thriving. In addition to being the President and Executive Director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, she is also the CEO of Catalyit.

💡Company: Independent Insurance Agents of Texas 

💡Website: https://www.iiat.org/ 

Jaw-Dropping Moments 

• Marit reveals a time when team dynamics were so polarized that continuing the project was impossible—and how the assessment predicted it before they even started. 
• How understanding cognitive differences saved a family business relationship where the CFO sister was constantly frustrated by her CEO brother's "endless questions." 
• A company that started with 10-12 people and grew to over 75 employees in just 5 years by strategically hiring based on conative diversity from day one. 
• The moment when someone with a 7-7-3-3 profile admitted they hated working with others who had the exact same profile—proving that matching styles doesn't guarantee compatibility. 

Key Quotes from Marit Peters 

"Kolbe is kind of like oxygen. If I don't know somebody's Kolbe, I don't really know how to interact with them. I feel like I'm doing them a disservice by coaching." 

"We hear about diversity all the time, but for me, diversity is about how we think and how we problem solve." 

"If you want things to maintain status quo, don't hire me. I'm not the right fit. If you want somebody to come in and blow things up and look totally different and challenge things and take risks, I'm your person." 

"It's fun when you go into an organization and you inventory the team and you find out, wow, we could tap into this talent, and you're not even using it." 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Host: Eric Herrera, VP of Growth and Strategic Alliances @ Kolbe Corp (Kolbe: 5-3-9-2) 

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Karen Slusher, Chief Experience Officer @ Azure Standard (3-2-10-3)

💡 What she does: She helps run Azure Standard, an organic food distributor and manufacturer with an organic farm. They do a lot of different things in that organic and natural space, and acts as a community across the United States of people who just want to build healthy and abundant lives.

💡 Company: Azure Standard 

💡 Website: azurestandard.com

Jaw-Dropping Moments

• When Karen describes crying and then getting angry after truly understanding her Kolbe results, realizing she hadn’t been able to be her authentic self for much of her life.
• A young employee, on the verge of quitting and estranged from his parents, reconnects with his family and changes his life path after a Kolbe training session.
• Karen shares how Kolbe transformed her marriage and family dynamics, reducing friction and improving communication with her husband and adult children.

Key Quotes from Karen Slusher

"When you suddenly sense that freedom for yourself, you want everybody to have that freedom. There's a joy within you that just explodes."

"It's given us permission to stop asking people to be someone else as an organization."

"We’re intervening before people burn out, before they're frustrated, before some conflict arises."

"It’s freed us up to be who we truly are, right across the board in every dynamic or every part of our lives."

"If I sound like I'm a Kolbe advertisement, I am—and they're not paying me to say this. I'm just telling you: go, because it will make a massive difference all around."

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Host: David Kolbe,CEO at Kolbe Corp (Kolbe: 8273) 

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡Name: William Isaacs, Founder and President at Dialogos(Kolbe: 6393)

💡What he does: He helps to shape the field of dialogue-driven leadership and systemic change. 

💡Company: Dialogos
��Book: Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together 
��Website: https://www.dialogos.com/ 

Jaw-Dropping Moments 

• When Isaacs explained how “shared ideals” almost always produce the opposite of what people hope for. 
• When he said trust isn’t a prerequisite for change — it’s the result of people witnessing each other truly listen. 
• The private-equity story where a massively failing company turned the corner in three hours once people finally said the things they hadn’t felt safe to say. 
• The 40-40-20 Rule: Only 20% of “questions” people ask are real questions. 
•  The revelation that people don’t think first and act later — actions emerge from the flow of conversation and relationship. 

Key Quotes 

“To communicate, you don’t have to agree. If you give up trying to agree and simply work toward understanding. That’s transformational.”  

“Trust is an outcome, not an input. It arises when people genuinely endeavor to listen in ways they normally wouldn’t.”  

“Most meetings are serial monologues. Dialogue only begins when we suspend our certainty and start to inquire.”  

“It takes more time not to have the conversation you need to have.” 

“If you’re a hundred percent certain the other guy is the problem, you can count on the fact that you don’t have it right.”  

“Leaders are much more likely to be successful if they understand the architecture and wiring of the people they’re leading — including themselves.”  

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host David Kolbe sits down with Chris Ronzio, founder and CEO of Trainual, to talk about entrepreneurship, scaling businesses, and why every company needs a playbook. From his early days running a video production company as a teenager to building Trainual into a platform used by thousands of businesses, Chris shares the lessons he’s learned about operations, leadership, and letting go as a founder. 

Chris doesn’t hold back on the tough parts of entrepreneurship either—letting go of control, recognizing when the problem is the person vs. the training, and finding the right balance between chaos and structure. Along the way, he dives into how being an Initiating Quick Start (2594) on the Kolbe A™ Index fuels his energy for big ideas and rapid experimentation, while also creating challenges that he’s learned to solve with the right people and systems around him. 

Host: David Kolbe, CEO at Kolbe Corp (Kolbe: 8273)  

Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: Chris Ronzio, Founder and CEO at Trainual (Kolbe: 2594)

💡 What he does: The creator of Trainual, Chris is “a founder, systems thinker, and storyteller at heart—driven by one core mission: to make business easier by empowering people with clarity, purpose, and scalable tools.”

💡 Company: Trainual
�� Book: The Business Playbook
�� Website: https://www.chrisronzio.com/ 

Jaw-Dropping Moments  

• Chris sold his first real business—a video production company he started at 14 years old. 
• He once had a mom furious at him because his camera operator’s battery died during her daughter’s performance—sparking his obsession with processes that never fail twice. 
• Trainual started as a side tool for his consulting clients, and four years later, he ditched consulting entirely to go all-in. 
• He uses his assistant as a filter for his flood of ideas so his team doesn’t accidentally take brainstorms as a marching orders. 
• Chris predicts that in the near future, businesses will manage not just employees but also AI agents and humanoid robots—and Trainual will be the playbook that tells them all what “good” looks like. 

Key Quotes  

“If there’s no chaos in your business, that’s a bad thing. That means you don’t have opportunity coming at you.” 

“Every company should have an instruction manual. It’s malpractice to run a business without one.” 

“Bad performance is either the wrong person or the wrong training.” 

“The good businesses fix problems the first time they happen. The bad ones retreat and try to avoid ever scaling past them.” 

“I’m very open to being wrong, but I’ll still throw out crazy ideas—just don’t take every one as gospel.” 

“Current best practices—that’s the phrase I use. It keeps everyone aligned today, but leaves room for innovation tomorrow.” 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this eye-opening episode, Amy Bruske sits down with family business expert Sara B. Stern to challenge everything you think you know about why family businesses fail. Spoiler alert: it's not the entitled grandkids who kill the company—it's the founders themselves. 

Amy and Sara dive deep into the messy realities of mixing blood with business, sharing war stories from the trenches (including Amy's legendary "pizza fight" with Kathy Kolbe that changed everything). You'll discover why hiring your brother might be the riskiest move you'll ever make, how a simple three-circle diagram can save your family relationships, and why most succession plans are doomed from day one. 

Whether you're running a family business, thinking about joining one, or just want to understand why your friend complains about working with their dad, this conversation will change how you think about family enterprises forever. 

Host: Amy Bruske President at Kolbe Corp (Kolbe: 3583) 

Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Sara B. Stern (Kolbe: 5691)

💡 What she does: Helps family businesses figure out where they're going, how they'll get there, and how to stay healthy while doing it | Expert EOS Implementer® at EOS Worldwide

💡 Company: EOS Worldwide
💡 Book: Start Here: A Guide for Family Business Succession
💡 Website: sarabstern.com 

Jaw-Dropping Moments 

• The construction company that lost $30+ million because one family member was "too scary to discipline" 
• Kathy Kolbe's two-week exit announcement that nobody saw coming 
• Why Sara tried to cheat on her own Kolbe assessment (and got caught) 
• The breakfast conversation that saved a 50-year family legacy 

Key Quotes 

Sara: "People like to talk about how the family business is killed by the third generation... I think it's the first. If the first generation creates a business that is not being run thoughtfully, it's like having a sports team where half the people have injuries." 

Sara: "I've talked to way too many second, third, fourth generation family business owners who, when I ask them, 'Why do you own the business?' their answer is 'because.' And that answer does not get you through the hard days. It maybe didn't even really get you through the good days." 

Amy: "If you can't trust me to order pizza, you cannot trust me to run your business." 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Few people understand the answer to that better than CJ DuBe’, an Expert EOS implementer and experienced Kolbe Certified™ Consultant. 

In this conversation, she and Amy Bruske bring us into the room where it happens, by exploring the work CJ does in leadership team sessions. They discuss the importance of understanding team member strengths, building intentional cultures, and enhancing leadership team dynamics to optimize performance. They delve into real-world examples of how different Kolbe strengths affect teamwork and problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of open, honest, and vulnerable communication. In addition, CJ shares personal insights from her career, highlighting the need for leaders to advocate for themselves and their teams, and the value of understanding individual strengths in fostering a successful team environment. She also recounts the importance Kolbe played in setting her son up for success, and she and Amy break down the many benefits that come from understanding your instinctive strengths at an early age. 

Host: Amy Bruske (3583) 

Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: CJ DuBe’ (4483) 

💡What she does: CJ is a renowned speaker, best-selling author, and Expert EOS Implementer®. She is also the former Global Community Leader at EOS Worldwide®. 

💡Company: EOS Worldwide 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Takeaways 

• 82% of leaders feel their biggest stress is people. 
• Building an intentional culture is crucial for success. 
• Genuine care and concern does not mean avoiding tough conversations. 
• A weak link on your team affects the culture. 
• Open, honest, and vulnerable leadership is key to team success. 
• Kolbe helps identify root issues in teams and improve dynamics. 
• A leadership team is only as good as their middle management. 
• The dream team is made up of diverse strengths and perspectives. 

Key Quotes from CJ 

" Ultimately we're thinking about how do you build an intentional culture and what does that look like to build an intentional culture? And the reality is, Kolbe is part of that.” 

“ Most people say things honestly, but are you willing to be vulnerable?” 

“ All of the good research around emotional intelligence shows that teams that have a level of trust thrive. And that is why Kolbe is one of our trust builders.” 

“When I finally did my Kolbe, the light bulb went off for me.” 

“ That is the biggest gift that we can give our kids, is being able to understand, no, you have these strengths. When you're in a position to work against them, it's not gonna feel real natural and it's gonna be a little bit of a struggle.” 

Chapters 

01:27 CJ's Background and Expertise 

02:49 The Importance of the People Component in EOS 

03:33 Building an Intentional Culture 

06:55 Challenges in Leadership Teams 

08:08 The Role of Kolbe in Team Dynamics 

16:00 Balancing Team Strengths and Weaknesses 

16:10 Leadership and Middle Management 

21:43 Navigating Human Instincts in Business 

23:46 The Visionary-Integrator Dynamic 

28:20 Personal Insights and Career Journey 

38:33 Effective Team Communication 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, Eric interviews Jenna Spencer, the CEO and founder of AssistPro®, a company that matches entrepreneurs with executive assistants. Together, they explore the significance of effective delegation, the evolution of Jenna's role as a visionary leader, and the impact Kolbe has in both professional and personal relationships. They delve into the importance of understanding one's Kolbe Index results, discussing how these instinctive strengths can be leveraged in an executive/assistant relationship. Jenna shares her journey from the corporate world to starting her own company, emphasizing the role of Kolbe in her entrepreneurial success.  

Host: Eric Herrera (5392) 

Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: Jenna Spencer (7482) 

💡What she does: Jenna is the Founder and Visionary of AssistPro®, an executive assistant matching and delegation coaching service created to free up time and create growth for busy leaders. 

💡Company: AssistPro® 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Takeaways 

• Understanding your Kolbe results can provide self-acceptance. 
• Effective delegation requires time and trust-building. 
• Identifying $25 vs. $500 tasks is crucial for productivity. 
• A good assistant can change your life and business. 
• Starting a business requires a sense of urgency and focus. 
• Kolbe can improve personal relationships and communication. 
• Investing time in hiring pays off in the long run. 
• Self-awareness enhances leadership effectiveness. 

Key Quotes from Jenna 

" I knew that I had to take action, I had to have a sense of urgency, and I had to do the same three to five things every single day to get traction in my business.” 

“ The biggest aha for me was it kind of gave me permission to give myself a little bit of grace. Like, oh, I'm not actually crazy.” 

“ The cool part is once you figure out what your superpowers are, the more of that stuff you do, it feels like you start to gain momentum and you can just keep going and going and going.” 

 ”Kolbe has worked really great in my marriage, honestly.” 

"Delegating is really personal." 

Chapters 

03:12 Understanding Kolbe Results and Personal Insights 

05:57 The Role of AssistPro in Business Growth 

09:07 Launching a Business: Jenna's Journey 

11:55 The Visionary Role and Its Evolution 

15:11 Effective Delegation and Common Mistakes 

17:53 Identifying the Need for an Assistant 

21:04 The Impact of Kolbe in Personal Relationships 

23:54 Advice for Business Leaders 

27:12 Connecting with AssistPro 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

David Kolbe and Amy Bruske break down the 'Do More, More Naturally' concept from their best-selling book and introduce the Three C's of Sustainable Performance —Clarity, Commitment, and Collaboration—as essential components for effortless success. 

They explore how to attain sustainable high performance by aligning work and personal goals with one's natural strengths, discuss the common pitfalls of traditional productivity advice, and highlight the significance of balancing productivity with natural instincts. David and Amy also offer insights into leveraging conative strengths for better results in both personal and professional settings and delve into practical implications, such as parenting and team collaboration, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and appreciating diverse strengths for long-term success. 

Hosts:  

💡 Names: David Kolbe (8273) and Amy Bruske (3583) 

💡What they do:  

David is CEO/Visionary. 

Amy is President/Implementer. 

💡Company: Kolbe Corp 

💡 Where to find them: Kolbe.com/DoMore 
 

Key Takeaways 

• The business mission is about solving real challenges. 
• Understanding the audience is crucial for effective communication. 
• 'Do More, More Naturally' emphasizes sustainable productivity. 
• Alignment with personal strengths is key to avoiding burnout. 
• Success involves responsibility for results, not just freedom. 
• The Three C's framework is essential for productivity. 
• Energy management is more important than time management. 
• Collaboration enhances productivity and results. 
• Mutual respect in teams leads to better outcomes. 
• Personal commitment to strengths leads to greater fulfillment. Your conative strengths are with you 24/7. 
• One size does not fit all with advice. 
• Parents should understand their kid might not be like them. 
• We need to challenge ourselves to make sure that we are helping the child discover their strengths. 

Quotes: 

“What's missing in this how to be more productive formula is sustainable high levels of performance, and that is this magic that is the do more naturally part of Do More, More Naturally.”  

“The perfect MO is the one that you appreciate. So I always tell people, learn to appreciate what you have rather than look for something else.” 

“It can be life-changing to discover your strengths. And we are on a mission to help others do that.” 

00:00 Introduction: Embracing Individual Strengths

00:49 Welcome to Powered by Instinct

01:16 The Concept of Doing More Naturally

02:00 Balancing Productivity and Natural Strengths

04:32 The Importance of Collaboration

10:46 Energy Management vs. Time Management

19:38 Understanding and Leveraging Individual Strengths

24:33 Good Advice Gone Bad

24:53 The Importance of Clarity and Commitment

25:06 Knowing When to Let Go

25:10 Personal Anecdotes on Finishing Projects

28:17 The Value of Improvisation

31:38 Parenting and Individual Strengths

39:12 The Mission to Discover Strengths

42:53 Conclusion and Call to Action

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this fourth and final episode of our Kolbe Action Mode series, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Implementor Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it: envisioning, restoring, and demonstrating. 

Our Kolbe experts will take you through what it means to have these different Implementor strengths as they address common misconceptions, break down how to work with people across the Implementor spectrum, and explain how you can maximize your Implementor strength for more productivity, better communication, and improved collaboration.  

It’s time to implement your instincts as you learn more about that yellow line in your Kolbe result! 

Hosts:   

💡 Names: Stephanie Clergé (8363), Eric Herrera (5392), and Nicole Loucks (5824)

💡What they do: 

Stephanie is Kolbe’s VP of People and Product Development.  

Eric is Kolbe’s VP of Growth and Strategic Alliances.  

Nicole is Kolbe’s Director of Training, as well as VP of Education and Youth Programs.  

💡Company: Kolbe Corp  

💡 Where to find them: Kolbe.com  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieclerge/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericherrera5392/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-loucks-64279058/

Takeaways   

The Kolbe Action Mode Implementor measures how individuals naturally take action when striving, focusing on how they handle space and tangibles. 

Individuals with strengths in the Implementor Action Mode exhibit varying levels of envisioning, restoring and demonstrating, impacting their approach to handling space and tangibles. 

Effective coaching and communication strategies are essential for supporting individuals with different strengths in the Implementor Action Mode, both in professional and educational settings. Embrace and leverage your natural strengths rather than conforming to arbitrary expectations. 

Understanding the interdependence of different strengths is crucial for problem-solving and achieving optimal outcomes. 

Key Quotes   

“Individuals with a 7-10 in Implementor really solve problems by being hands on. They show, they don't tell. They're going to use quality materials and tools to build or create something tangible. So when they're solving problems, they're really going to look for those physical or tangible solutions and create them.” 

“We were actually having a conversation before we started the podcast, and one of our colleagues said he used to work with someone, they called him the walking email because he would get up, walk down to your office and go have a conversation. That was how he used that energy to get out and interact.” 

“When my wife says, ‘Hey, Eric, can you fix X?’, I find all kinds of excuses to put it off. I can do it and I can muddle my way through it, but it's frustrating the entire time. I would rather kind of see the vision of this is what is, this is how amazing it's going to be when it's done.” 

Chapters

02:54
The Three Strengths of the Implementor Action Mode

06:00
Coaching Strategies for Demonstrators

11:59
Envisioners: Abstract Problem Solving

19:12
Restorers: Balancing Abstract and Concrete

24:48
Navigating Strengths in

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this third episode of our Kolbe Action Mode series, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Quick Start Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it, such as stabilizing, modifying and innovating. 

Whether you naturally initiate change and improvise solutions (like Eric), participate in experiments and adjust deadlines (like Stephanie), or minimize risk factors and protect the status quo (like Nicole), you’ll get to hear amazing coaching tips from an expert who shares your strengths in the Quick Start Action Mode! 

The hosts address common misconceptions, break down how to work with people across the Quick Start spectrum, and explain how you can maximize your Quick Start strength for more productivity, better communication, and improved collaboration.  

Get your week off to a Quick Start by learning about your strengths in the oh-so-important green Action Mode! 

Hosts:   

💡 Names: Stephanie Clergé (8363), Eric Herrera (5392), and Nicole Loucks (5824)

💡What they do: 

 Stephanie is Kolbe’s VP of People and Product Development.  

 Eric is Kolbe’s VP of Sales.  

 Nicole is Kolbe’s Director of Training, as well as VP of Education and Youth Programs.  

💡Company: Kolbe Corp  

💡 Where to find them: Kolbe.com  

Takeaways   

The Kolbe Action Mode Quick Start measures how individuals naturally take action when striving, focusing on how they deal with risk and uncertainty. 

Effective coaching and communication strategies are essential for supporting individuals with different strengths in the Quick Start Action Mode, both in professional and educational settings. Embrace and leverage your natural strengths rather than conforming to arbitrary expectations. 

Recognize and utilize the diverse strengths of team members for effective collaboration. 

Understanding the interdependence of different strengths is crucial for problem-solving and achieving optimal outcomes. 

Key Quotes   

 “If I could coach someone with the 7-10 in Quick Start, I’d tell them to condense all your timeframes with everything you do. You'll get the best work from yourself out of that.” 

“How you communicate changes is just as important as the change itself sometimes.” 

“As a 6 in Quick Start, I also have ideas. It's just that my ideas sometimes come from different places, and I need a starting point. So, it's great if there's a theme or  you give me your idea, and then I can kind of get those ideas flowing pretty well.” 

“We see a lot of owners who are the only 7-10 in QS and the whole rest of the team is like a 1,2 or 3. And then they end up driving their entire team crazy because they're constantly firing off ideas. And so it's great to be self-aware and understand your strengths, and also realize you need people in all three of the zones.” 

Chapters 

00:00
Introduction to the Quick Start Action Mode

07:37
Understanding the Strengths within Quick Start

12:18
Coaching and Communicating with Quick Start Strengths

16:23
Collaborating with Different Quick Start Strengths

25:58
Misconceptions and Biases about Quick Start

31:21
The Importance of Conside

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this second episode of our Kolbe Action Mode® series, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Follow Thru Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it, such as adapting, maintaining, and systematizing.  

Whether you naturally create systems for everything (like Nicole), maintain flexibility and create shortcuts (like Stephanie and Eric) or find yourself in between keeping those systems running, you’ll benefit greatly from the coaching tips provided here. 

The hosts address common misconceptions, break down how to work with people across the Follow Thru spectrum, and explain how you can maximize your Follow Thru strength for more productivity, better communication, and improved collaboration.  

Join three Kolbe experts as they follow through on their promise to share how people naturally organize and design.  

Hosts:   

💡 Names: Stephanie Clergé (8363), Eric Herrera (5392), and Nicole Loucks (5824) 

💡What they do: 

Stephanie is Kolbe’s VP of People and Product Development.  

Eric is Kolbe’s VP of Sales.  

Nicole is Kolbe’s Director of Training, as well as VP of Education and Youth Programs.  

💡Company: Kolbe Corp  

💡 Where to find them: Kolbe.com  

Takeaways   

The Kolbe Action Mode Follow Thru measures how individuals naturally take action when striving, focusing on how they organize and design. 

Effective coaching and communication strategies are essential for supporting individuals with different strengths in the Follow Thru Action Mode.

Recognize and utilize the diverse strengths of team members for effective collaboration. 

Understanding the interdependence of different strengths is crucial for problem-solving and achieving optimal outcomes. 

Key Quotes   

“One of the myths about folks who have strengths in the 7 to 10 in Follow Thru that systematize is that because they naturally create structure that if you give them structure, they're going to be happy about that. But everybody kind of needs to create their own structure. So that's something to not impose on other people.” 

“Don't assume that just because something looks unstructured or looks messy or unorganized to you, that there isn't an organizational method for that person. I can usually tell you exactly where something is in my pile. It's the pile to the right, about halfway in.” 

“Bottom line is, you can't change someone's MO. Somebody is not going to get more Follow Thru energy, or less for that matter, right? This is who you are, so you can lean into it.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Follow Thru Strengths

00:25 Meet the Hosts: Nicole, Stephanie, and Eric

00:39 Understanding Kolbe Action Modes

03:03 Deep Dive into Follow Thru Action Mode

06:47 Coaching Tips for Systematizers (7-10 Range)

16:59 Coaching Tips for Adapters (1-3 Range)

22:03 Navigating School with Different Strengths

23:17 Embracing Unique Approaches

24:22 The Importance of Collaboration

29:21 Recognizing Mid-Range (4-6) Strengths

33:07 Effective Team Dynamics

40:30 Misconceptions and Final Thoughts

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

You’ll join Nicole Loucks, VP of Education and Youth Programs at Kolbe Corp, as she breaks down how to:  

1. Help kids be more successful by leaning into their natural strengths  

2. Empower youth to be creative, even when their creative approaches are different from yours…or their friends  

3. Guide students through the pitfalls of school and into rewarding careers 

Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge they need to become productive problem solvers. This is an important message, so please pass this podcast episode on to anyone in your life who has at least one kid they care about…it can make a huge difference. 

💡 Hosts: Nicole Loucks (5824)

💡What they do: 

• Nicole is Kolbe’s Director of Training, as well as VP of Education and Youth Programs.  

💡Company: Kolbe Corp  

💡 Where to find them: https://www.kolbe.com/our-experts/

Takeaways:

Kids and teens each have a unique set of strengths and ways of problem solving.

Their natural way of taking action can be measured through an assessment called the Student Aptitude™ Quiz.

When students aren’t given the freedom to lean into their natural strengths, it can cause stress and limit their ability to problem solve.

Your MO (innate way of taking action) may be different from your child’s. There are ways to make that work, but it requires knowledge and understanding.

If your child is being asked to work against their MO in school, new techniques and approaches can make a world of difference.

Key Quotes   
"Life already requires so much effort.  If you can do it within your strengths, you will literally get more done."

“We need to help kids make good decisions. That's our ultimate goal. We don't necessarily want them to be just like you or their friends or your kid’s friends. We need them to be really great problem solvers.” 

“Each child has a natural strength in each of these areas that is innate to them that can't be changed and shouldn't be changed because this is our absolute best gift to the world.” 

“There is not one path to be successful. They start in the same place, but the way they get there can be so different and should be so different depending on their MO.” 

“Let your child just give themselves permission to not do something well. Not every child has to be somebody who is naturally going to structure or plan using a little planner. Give yourself permission to figure out a different way to get your homework done, or not follow the exact structure of the teacher.” 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Host: Amy Bruske (3583) 

Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: Gino Wickman (4683) 

💡What he does:  In addition to founding EOS®, Gino is a celebrated entrepreneur and author who has dedicated himself to helping others maximize their freedom. His celebrated books include Traction and Shine. 

💡Company: The 10 Disciplines 

💡 Where to find him: LinkedIn 

💡 More helpful links: 

• Download a free chapter of Shine  
• Visit the10disciplines.com to learn more  
• Take the True Self Assessment 

Takeaways 

• Understanding and appreciating your instinctive strengths can set you on the path to long-term success. 
• Being driven is a blessing and a curse, with the potential for great achievements but also the tendency to cause damage to oneself and others. 
• All decisions are made out of love or fear, and understanding this dynamic can lead to better decision-making and a deeper sense of peace. 
• It is possible to be driven and find peace by shedding the ego and letting one's true self shine. 
• Practical tools and exercises can help individuals on their journey to inner peace. Shedding layers and embracing your true self leads to inner peace and increased drive. 

Key Quotes from Gino 

• "You can be driven and find peace." 
• "There is no mountain to climb; it's all just a journey." 
• “Being driven is both a blessing and a curse.” 
• "All decisions are made out of love or fear." 
• “It is possible to be driven and find peace.” 
• “I am a Kolbe fanatic. I took it and I just fell in love with it because it defined me better than anything I'd found. I mean it was just so powerful and so free.” 
• “Kolbe is determining true self in work, like the soul of the human being.” 
• “I made every one of my clients take Kolbes, and it is now one of the 20 tools in the EOS toolbox. And so, we've now had tens of thousands of people take Kolbe because of its power in there.” 

Chapters 
00:00 The Journey of the Entrepreneur

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this conversation, Amy Bruske and Shannon Waller from Strategic Coach provide the answers to these pressing questions and more. They explore the different types of assessments and how they can provide insights into an individual's cognitive strengths, motivations, and natural ways of taking action. Shannon shares her favorite assessments, including Kolbe, CliftonStrengths, Print and Working Genius, and explains how they complement each other.  
 
They also discuss the effective use of assessments in understanding individual strengths and building successful teams. Shannon also shares her personal insights from taking the Kolbe A™ Index, how Strategic Coach implements it effectively, and how her MO has guided her career.  

If you’re thinking about using assessments to improve your business, this is a great guide for how to do that more effectively. If you’re not using assessments to grow your business, it’s a great wake up call to let you know the importance of setting your team up for success! 

Host: Amy Bruske (3583) 

Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: Shannon Waller (3295) 

💡What she does:  Shannon is Entrepreneurial Team Strategist at Strategic Coach®. She is also the author of several books, including The Team Success Handbook: 12 Strategies for Highly Productive Entrepreneurial Teams. 

💡Company: Strategic Coach 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Takeaways 

• Assessments provide a quick and accurate read on people, helping leaders make informed decisions about fit and role alignment. 
• Using multiple assessments allows for a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's strengths, motivations, and preferred ways of taking action. 
• Assessments should not be used to box people in or as a cop-out for not taking action; they should be used as tools for self-awareness and growth. 
• Understanding and leveraging one's unique ability is key to maximizing impact and fulfillment in work. Increase the amount of time spent in your unique ability to achieve life-changing results. 
• Use assessments as a resource for understanding individual strengths and building successful teams. 
• Be cautious of using assessments as the sole basis for hiring or firing decisions. 
• Certifications and consultants can provide valuable expertise in implementing assessments effectively. 

Key Quotes from Shannon 

"Assessments should not be slapping a label on you because here's the deal. You are not that result, whatever assessment you're using at all times.” 

"If you're doing just one assessment, you're only having one dimension. Human beings are incredibly complex and multidimensional."  

“I think the number one value of assessments for me is to be able to get a read on people quickly. Business is moving fast. You don't have time to just hang out eight hours a day for three months with someone getting to know what makes them tick.” 

“It could take you years to figure something out about someone sometimes that an assessment can help pinpoint for you right away.” 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

So, we asked the President and Integrator of the company helping hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurial companies around the world how to turn their worst personnel nightmares into a dream scenario. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear Kelly Knight of EOS Worldwide and Amy Bruske, President/Integrator of Kolbe Corp dive into the best ways to solve your biggest people issues and ensure maximum productivity from your team. You’ll learn about the importance of Right People Right Seats, how building an intentional is everything, and even the power of love (yes, love) in leading your team. 

Stop staying up late worrying and start building the culture your people need and deserve. The path begins with this episode of Powered by Instinct! 

Host: Amy Bruske (3583) 

 Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: Kelly Knight (7752) 

💡What she does: As President/Integrator of EOS® Worldwide, Kelly helps provide entrepreneurs with simple concepts and practical tools to drive results for their businesses. Kelly is also an official member of the Forbes Business Council. 

💡Company: EOS Worldwide 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

💡 Author of New Book: People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture 

Takeaways 

• People are central to the success of any business. 
• Using Kolbe’s RightFit™ Hiring Solution, and open-ended questions can help in hiring the right people. 
• Building an intentional culture requires thoughtfulness and dedication. 
• Balancing challenge and skill is crucial for employee development. Create an open and honest environment for employees to express their concerns and feelings. 
• Practice heart-centered leadership and prioritize genuine care and concern for others. 
• Have courageous conversations and make decisions that serve the greater good of the organization and individuals. 
• Read 'People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture' to learn about creating intentional cultures and access the resources available. 

Key Quotes from Kelly 

“When you see really spectacular cultures where people are loving what they do and thriving and companies are growing and you can see the kind of impact they’re making on the world, that didn’t just happen by accident.”  

"Getting the most out of people really requires that you're showing up with that genuine caring concern. I always say, please do not become a manager or leader if you don't have genuine love for people." 

"There are a couple really key things that we do across the board no matter what seat we're hiring for. And one of those is Kolbe. Kolbe has been absolutely instrumental every single hire." 

Chapters 

02:16  The Importance of People in Business

04:06  Common Problems in Companies Running on EOS

05:30  The Role of Values in Hiring

06:50  Key Tools for Hiring and Building Teams

08:19  The Importance of Culture in Business

10:14  Balancing Results and Culture

11:32  The Role of Love in Leadership

12:51  Building an Intentional Culture

14:59  The Importance of Strengths and Fit in Roles

16:19  Balancing Skill and Challenge in Roles

19:33  The Role of Heart-Centered Lea

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Fact Finder Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it, such as specifying, simplifying, and explaining. They provide coaching tips for each strength and address common misconceptions.  

They also explore how different Fact Finder strengths can work together in a workplace setting and how you can maximize your Fact Finder strength for more productivity, better communication, and improved collaboration. 

Join three Kolbe experts as they delve deep (and also provide an overview and essential facts) into the Fact Finder Action Mode and learn how different people naturally gather and share information. 

Hosts:  

💡 Names: Stephanie Clergé (8363), Eric Herrera (5392), and Nicole Loucks (5824), 

💡What they do:  

Stephanie is Kolbe’s VP of People and Product Development. 

Eric is Kolbe’s VP of Sales. 

Nicole is Kolbe’s VP of Training, as well as VP of Education and Youth Programs. 

💡Company: Kolbe Corp 

💡 Where to find them: Kolbe.com 

Takeaways  

Fact Finder measures the instinctive need to probe and the way we gather and share information. 

Behavior ranges from gathering detailed information and documenting strategies to simplifying and clarifying options.  

This Action Mode deals with detail and complexity, providing the perspective of the past. 

There are a wide variety of strengths across this Action Mode, all of which are equally vital. 

Key Quotes  

“Just because two people have the same strength or even the exact same number, doesn’t mean they will act the same way. It's going to play out differently because of three parts of the mind.” 

• Eric Herrera 

“It's good to remember that we have in a general population, just as many Initiating seven, eight, nines and tens in Fact Finder as we do one through threes in Fact Finder. It’s important to get out into the world and see the variety that's out there and help all children find places where they can be successful.” 

• Nicole Loucks 

“When you get your Kolbe A Index result, you get four numbers. People do tend to sometimes focus on the first one, cause it's the first one, or they focus on one that is their longest line, but all four of your strengths are just as important.” 

• Stephanie Clergé 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction to Kolbe Corp and Action Modes® 

01:23 Understanding Kolbe and the Cognitive Part of the Mind 

02:58 Exploring the Fact Finder Action Mode 

05:35 Coaching Initiating Fact Finders 

06:28 Coaching Simplifying Fact Finders 

23:23 Working Together with Different Fact Finder Strengths 

29:51 Working Together with the Same Fact Finder Strengths 

33:08 Common Misconceptions about Fact Finder 

37:04 Importance of Looking at All Four Strengths 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Guests-at-a-Glance  

💡 Names: Susan Spritz Myers (4392) and Whitney Capps (8562)

💡What they do: Whitney has experience coaching a variety of leaders and specializes in emerging leaders, law and government, tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and non-profit leaders and activists. Susan provides executive coaching and team development to CEOs, business owners, VPs, senior-level leaders and teams of mid-market companies. 

💡Companies: Susan Spritz Myers, LLC and ClearSpace  

💡 Where to find them: https://susanspritzmyers.com/ and https://clearspace.net/ 

Takeaways 

• Knowing your MO can have a significant impact on your personal and professional life, providing clarity and confidence in decision-making. 
• Kolbe assessments can help individuals and teams understand their strengths and work together more effectively. 
• Building diverse teams and being intentional in leadership development are key to creating high-performing teams. 
• Self-awareness, trust, and collaboration are essential for success in team dynamics. 

Key Quotes from Our Guests 

“I have two children and I gave them Index A when they were in high school. One is graduated, one is in graduate school for physical therapy. But the fact that they got to do college or make choices based on knowing that MO I feel like is the best thing I ever did for them.”  - Susan Spritz-Myers 

“There's opportunity for the short term and long term with Kolbe. Whether you have your results or not, just understanding that those striving instincts are at play for yourself and for others can really be life-changing. And what I think we've been able to leverage is we don't just stop there.”  - Whitney Capps 

“If we have autonomy and freedom and psychological safety, we are much more likely to be engaged at work. And Kolbe is a huge part of helping an organization, helping an individual, helping a leader, make sure that people feel like they can be themselves.”    - Whitney Capps 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction and Welcome 

01:11 Impact of Knowing Your MO 

02:14 Personal Impact of Kolbe 

03:23 Impact of Kolbe on Leadership Teams 

08:32 Building a Relationship with a Law Firm Client 

13:23 Understanding and Leveraging Different MOs 

16:36 S

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode, Stephanie Clergé, VP of People and Product Development at Kolbe Corp, and Rob Castaneda , Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, discuss how to infuse Kolbe Wisdom™ into a business in in ways that will empower team members and clients alike. Rob shares his experience with taking the Kolbe A™ Index and how it has helped him understand himself and others better. Learn how ServiceRocket has integrated Kolbe into their hiring process and the use of technology to support their people operations, how they have fostered a diversity of strengths on their teams, and the value empowering “Rocketeers” to learn and grow has added for everyone involved. 

Host: Stephanie Clergé (8363)

Guest-at-a-Glance  

💡 Name: Rob Castaneda (3384)

💡What they do: As Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, Rob aims to help “Rocketeers” learn and grow so that they can have an impact on their careers, their families, and their communities. He partners with smart, fast-growing enterprise software companies and helps them build out their ecosystems.  

💡Company: ServiceRocket  

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Takeaways 

• Understanding and leveraging instinctive strengths can help individuals be more deliberate and make better choices in different situations. 
• Empowering employees with knowledge about their instinctive strengths can lead to better collaboration and communication. 
• Using Kolbe in the hiring process can help identify candidates who are a good fit for the role and the team. 
• Investing in leadership development and proactive initiatives can have a significant impact on the growth and success of a company. 

Key Quotes from Rob 

“The part that I really enjoyed initially was being able to compare my profile with other executives in the company to give some pointers and, you know, take the edge off some frustration that you might be having.” 

“We have a lot of migrants in our business from all corners of the world, and there's a very big calling for me to be able to empower them. And not just on technical skills. I actually think interpersonal soft skills are probably the most important. It has an impact on their careers, but also — knowing this stuff — I'm a better husband. I'm a better father. I'm a better community leader. And I think that's what actually has a better impact on the world.” 

“It's kind of like, here's who you are; you're done. With Kolbe, it's just a system of understanding. And then I know what levers I have to pull, right? So that I can adjust my behavior the way that fits the situation.” 

“I think educating your managers and investing in programs like this...managers actually love this kind of stuff. And starting to challenge them to say, okay... hey, every time you guys hire somebody, did you realize that you hire the same profile all the time? We all have biases, and this is a great framework and tool and infrastructure to use to make yourself better, make your team better, or make your company better.” 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction and Background 

03:12 Service Rocket and its Mission 

06:00 Empowering Rocketeers 

09:18 Understanding and Leveraging I

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

If you’re a consultant or coach looking to make a bigger impact on your clients’ businesses and lives, then this is a must-listen. If you’re simply interested in how to improve your own life and work through better understanding your strengths, this is also a can’t-miss episode! 

Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Kari Gillenwater (6482)

💡What they do: Founder and CEO of a successful financial services and insurance consulting firm, Kari is known for her extensive work with business owners helping them to accelerate their businesses, their brands and their teams. A coach and certified Kolbe™ consultant and Team Specialist, she specializes in helping business owners find right-fit talent, improve personal productivity, team performance and communication. 

💡Company: Gillenwater Consulting Group 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Takeaways 

• Understanding and embracing your Kolbe strengths™ can have a significant impact on your life and business. 
• Kolbe can be used to build teams and empower employees in a way that aligns with their unique strengths. 
• Communication and understanding each other's Kolbe strengths is crucial for effective teamwork and collaboration. 
• Kolbe can be powerful for coaches and consultants to help their clients find their voice, align with their strengths, and achieve their goals. Self-reflection is essential for personal growth and development. 
• Understanding personal values helps guide decision-making and prioritization. 
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses allows for targeted self-improvement. 
• Setting goals and taking action is crucial for progress and achievement. 
• Self-awareness enhances relationships and leads to a more fulfilling life. 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction and Background 

02:30 The Importance of Self-Reflection 

03:40 Understanding and Embracing Kolbe 

09:16 Using Kolbe in Business Coaching 

10:45 Understanding Personal Values 

17:28 Working with Individuals and Teams 

20:15 Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses 

28:12 Client Success Story 

30:00 Setting Goals and Taking Action 

36:00 Advice for Coaches and Consultants 

40:00 The Power of Self-Awareness 

41:14 Connecting with Kari Gillenwater 

43:04 Closing Remarks 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

 Season 4 of Powered by Instinct kicks off with a look at the importance of human relationships when dealing with complicated industries like finance and technology. In this episode, host Eric Herrera explores the intersection of human behavior and digital finance with James Robert Lay and Audrey Cannata from the Digital Growth Institute.  

James Robert emphasizes the importance of people in leveraging technology for financial growth, while Audrey shares her transition from teaching to digital finance and the critical role understanding her instinctive strengths played in that journey. 

They also delve into the dynamics at play in key working relationships, how to form a dynamic duo with someone who has very different natural strengths, and how Digital Growth uses Kolbe both to cater to their clients’ strengths and to help financial brands level up their digital growth process. 

Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

 Guests-at-a-Glance

💡 Names: James Robert Lay (3294); Audrey Cannata  (6734)

💡What they do: Founder and CEO; Operations Lead  

💡Company: Digital Growth Institute  

💡Noteworthy: James Robert is focused on inspiring human transformation in marketing and sales teams within financial brands, aiming to elevate their loan and deposit growth​; Audrey collaborates with James Robert at Digital Growth Institute, contributing to research and coaching that facilitate human transformation in the financial sector.  

💡 Where to find them: James Robert: LinkedIn; Audrey Cannata: LinkedIn  

Embracing Transparency and Honesty in Team Dynamics  

Audrey highlights the importance of transparency and honesty in team dynamics. She describes how their team practices radical honesty, allowing them to openly communicate their energy levels and adjust plans accordingly. This approach fosters a more understanding and effective work environment.  

"That allows us to be just really radically honest and transparent with each other [...] I can tell that to James Robert and vice versa. He can tell me, ‘Audrey, I am spent. Can we like pause on this meeting, or can we adjust our plans?’"  

Adapting to Unforeseen Challenges  

James Robert shares a practical example of adapting to unforeseen challenges. He recounts his experience of having a book launch disrupted by the pandemic and how he pivoted his approach. His story illustrates the importance of resilience and flexibility in the face of unexpected circumstances.  
  

"I wrote a book, Eric, that was scheduled to be published in April of 2020 [...] all of the conferences that I was supposed to be going to speak at, to do a launch tour, they all literally got shut down within two to three weeks."  

The Personal Impact of Kolbe  

Audrey speaks about the personal and transformative impact Kolbe has had on her life. She expresses gratitude for the self-awareness and growth that Kolbe has enabled, both professionally and personally, and shares her enthusiasm for being part of the Kolbe community.  

"I truly believe that Kolbe is such a gift, and it is such a gift to know thyself [...] It's been personally

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Toby Phillips engages with Kolbe Certified™ Consultants representing two of the finalists for the Kolbe Enterprise Award and dives into the integration of the Kolbe System™ within their organizations. The episode features insightful conversations with Shara Wokal and Clare Willson from Riff Creative, along with Hillary Snyder from Riverstone Communities. They all discuss their experiences and strategies in implementing the Kolbe principles for organizational development and team building, the impact Kolbe has had within throughout their organization and for their clients, and where they see their future with Kolbe. 

If you’re interested in learning what Kolbe can do for your organization and how you can be a part of it, this episode is an invaluable resource with a ton of practical ideas to help take your business to the next level. 

Host: Toby Phillips (7464)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Guests: Shara Wokal (8771); Clare Willson (9234); Hillary Snyder (7634)

💡Companies: Riff_; Riverstone Communities 

💡Noteworthy: Shara Wokal: Chief Financial Officer and Chief HR Officer at Riff Creative; 

Clare Willson: Executive Coach and Team Strategist at Riff Creative; Hillary Snyder: Chief Human Resources Officer at Riverstone Communities, Kolbe Certified Consultant since 2019. 

💡Where to find: Shara: LinkedIn; Clare: LinkedIn; Hillary: LinkedIn  

Embracing Team Diversity Through Kolbe Wisdom™: 

Organizations use the Kolbe System™ to embrace and leverage the diverse strengths within a team. Clare Willson speaks about Riff Creative's journey with Kolbe, emphasizing how Kolbe Wisdom has been integral to building their team and company culture. This approach has enabled them to appreciate varied problem-solving methods and foster a deep respect for each team member's unique contributions. The insight here is the value of understanding and utilizing diverse talents within a team for enhanced collaboration and productivity. 

Kolbe's Role in Building Trust and Mutual Respect: 

 Trivial incidents, like a misplaced bottle of Windex, can be opportunities to build trust and mutual respect in a team. Shara Wokal shares an anecdote about how such an incident led to a better understanding of team dynamics and preferences. This example underlines how seemingly minor events can reinforce team cohesion and understanding when viewed through the lens of Kolbe's principles. It shows the importance of nurturing a team culture that values every member's perspective and approach to problem-solving. 

Operational Efficiency Through Understanding Team Dynamics: 

 Hillary Snyder discusses how Kolbe has been inst

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

This clip comes from David Kolbe’s interview with EOS® Worldwide Visionary Mark O’Donnell back in season 1.

It’s a great recap on why Kolbe and EOS work so well together, and delivers insight into how you can incorporate both into your company culture.

"Kolbe helps you make a big leap in team health in less than an hour’s worth of time.” – Mark O’Donnell

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Toby Phillips engages with the three finalists for the Kolbe Professional Award. Sarah Gillet Couto shares her transformative journey from banking to coaching, highlighting how Kolbe's theory reshaped her career and personal understanding. 

Morgan Hutchings and Shawn Gulyas contribute their expertise, discussing the impact of conative theory in team productivity and leadership. They dive into the nuances of conative stress and its management, offering insights into workplace dynamics and personal growth. 

Listeners will gain a deeper appreciation for the Kolbe theory's practical applications, as each guest reveals how it empowers individuals and teams to harness their innate strengths while sharing the insights that got them recognized for their excellence. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to enhance their work with Kolbe, as well as for those who just want to learn more about the power of understanding their instincts.


Host: Toby Phillips (7464)

💡 Guests: Sarah Gillet Couto (4565); Morgan Hutchings (9425); Shawn Gulyas (5482)

💡 What they do: Multi Lingual Leadership & Communication Expert, Executive Coach | Senior Consultant | Founder & The Thought Catalyst 

💡 Companies: Sarah Gillet Couto Consulting | AuDExperts | humanworks8 

💡 Noteworthy: Sarah Gillet Couto: Executive coach, former banker, passionate about Kolbe's transformative power. / Morgan Hutchings: Expert in team efficiency, advocate for productivity through conative understanding. / Shawn Gulyas: Leadership consultant, focuses on building conative excellence in organizations. 

💡 Where to find them: Learn more from our blog: https://www.kolbe.com/blog/2023-conative-excellence-awards-finalists-announced 

Innovative Hiring Practices with Morgan Hutchings 

Timestamp: [00:19:44]  

Morgan Hutchings discusses the unique hiring process implemented at AuDExperts. He emphasizes the importance of aligning candidates with the company's core values and communication preferences from the onset. This process includes a voicemail introduction, a virtual interview, and a Kolbe A index assessment to ensure candidates are a good fit for the team and the company culture.  

Sarah Gillet Couto on Conative Stress and Team Dynamics 

Timestamp: [00:08:37] 

Sarah Gillet Couto shares an insightful case where conative stress was affecting a team undergoing significant changes. She recounts a conversation with a director of operations who was experiencing stress due to a role that did not align with her natural instincts.  

"We had this very interesting conversation yesterday... She said, I'm so happy we're having this session with the entire team together because I w

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

The result is “The Easy Button for Team Health,” a candid discussion on how to make your most pressing people decisions easier to handle. You'll discover the secret to making the biggest impact on team performance in the quickest amount of time, get a better understanding of the Kolbe System™ and how you can apply it to yourself and your business, and so much more. (There’s a substantial Q&A with Amy and Kolbe VP of Sales Eric Herrera near the end of the session.)

Interested in the easy button for team health? Just press play on this episode!

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Amy Bruske (3583)

💡 What she does: President

💡 Company: Kolbe Corp

💡 Noteworthy: This episode was originally a webinar for People Week as part of the EOS Strong in Six™ Business Challenge.

💡Where to find Amy: LinkedIn 

Unlocking Personal Potential through Kolbe Assessments

Amy Bruske emphasizes the importance of understanding individual strengths using the Kolbe assessment. 

"What we're focused on today and what Kolbe has found is that there is one factor that is most tied to performance for individuals and for teams. If you could focus on this, it's the secret to unlocking the potential of the people in your business. It's going to make your most important relationships easier. It's going to make your own productivity that much easier and less stressful."

Tailoring Job Roles with Kolbe Assessments

Amy Bruske and Eric Herrera discuss how Kolbe assessments can be applied in the hiring process. They highlight the importance of assessing compatibility between job roles and individual strengths. Amy mentions that job descriptions can be created or modified based on Kolbe results, ensuring a better fit between the role and the candidate. They stress that even for roles that may seem to require specific traits, individual preferences and organizational growth stage should be considered.

"You don't need a job description, you just need a clear understanding of what success looks like in that role."

Kolbe vs. Other Assessments: Complementary Insights

Amy and Eric address the question of how Kolbe assessments compare to other assessments like DiSC. They explain that Kolbe focuses on how individuals naturally take action and problem-solve, while other assessments may reveal preferences. Eric emphasizes the value of using both Kolbe and other assessments to gain a more comprehensive understanding of team dynamics. 

"In the ideal world, honestly, use both because you get to understand different dimensions of a person."

Nurturing Children's Strengths with Kolbe

Amy discusses the applicability of Kolbe assessments in parenting and education. She suggests that understanding children's natural strengths can help tailor educational approaches to their unique learning styles. Amy also acknowledges that school systems may not always align with a child's strengths and encourages parents to validate their children's uniqu

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

This clip comes to us from Season 1, Episode 3, when Kolbe Corp CEO David Kolbe sat down with Jessica Mogill of Crisp.

In this short clip, they discuss why using Kolbe in hiring is a non-negotiable for Crisp, one great mindset to have when using Kolbe to hire, and a specific time where using Kolbe helped a member of the Crisp team become the right person in the right role.

"Hiring with Kolbe is a bottom line non-negotiable. Why would you not use this?” – Jesicca Mogill

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

If you’re Tashyna Wingo, Director of Operations at Kolbe Corp, you survive by understanding and accounting for everyone’s instinctive needs! 

In this episode, Tashyna recounts her 5,800 mile long “great American family road trip” in a conversation with Nicole Loucks, VP of Youth & Education Programs at Kolbe. They delve into the dynamics of a family road trip, highlighting the unique ways each family member's instinctive strengths played out during the journey and how Tashyna managed to navigate those strengths and keep everyone happy. They also cover some Kolbe resources and ideas that are helpful for families in general. 

If you’re looking for insights into how to better support the loved ones in your life (and who isn’t), this is the Powered by Instinct episode for you! 

 
Host: Nicole Loucks (5824)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Tashyna Wingo (8543)

💡What they do: Director of Operations 

💡Company: Kolbe Corp 

💡Noteworthy: Orchestrated a cross-country family road trip, hitting 16 states, and used knowledge of Kolbe Strengths™ to make sure everyone’s needs were met 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Understanding Children's Strengths in Education 

Nicole highlights the Student Aptitude Quiz, a conative assessment tailored for kids. This tool helps children understand their strengths and how to leverage them in areas they're passionate about, such as excelling in school. Tashyna shares her personal experience, noting how an online, self-paced environment allowed her daughter Madeline to thrive, given her unique approach to problem-solving. 

 
Empowering Teachers with Kolbe Insights 

Tashyna reveals that she encourages her son's teachers to take the Kolbe Index every year. This initiative helps educators understand their unique strengths and how they approach problem-solving. By sharing these insights, Tashyna aims to foster a more supportive and understanding educational environment for her son and his peers. 

Challenges and Disagreements on the Road 

Nicole probes Tashyna about the challenges and disagreements they faced during the road trip. Tashyna shares some light-hearted moments, like siblings' squabbles in the backseat. She also mentions a recurring point of contention with her husband, Tom, about how they measured travel progress: hours vs. miles. 

"I'd say probably the only disagreements that Tom and I had, and it took me a little too long to get with the program, but he'd ask me how, like going from location to location, you know, what are we looking at? And so I would say it's two and a half hours. And he's like, ‘I don't care about the hours. I wanna know how many miles…"  - Tashyna

Empowering Students with Kolbe Insights 

The conversation shifts to the importance of understanding students' natural strengths. Nicole recalls how Henry actively participated during a Strengths Week project at school. Tashyna emphasizes the value of the Student Aptitude Quiz and how it has benefited her children. 

"And I have to say, when we went into the school and did that Strengths Week project, Henry was our helper with physical mater

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Amy Bruske is joined by Mari Martin, “The Mother of Kolbe in West Michigan.”  Mari brings the type of insight you can only get from a dedicated Kolbe Certified™ Consultant for over 30 years. 

Mari shares how her MO, and her knowledge, has been instrumental in both her career and her personal life, through the good times and the bad. She covers how she used Kolbe as a foundation to build a successful practice, and how she then used that expertise to help her navigate her biggest challenge yet — her husband’s stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis in 2013. (To learn more about their incredible journey together, check out Come Home Alive: The Power of Knowing how to Work Together to Make it Through the Crisis of Cancer.)  

Whether you’re a Kolbe Consultant who wants to change the world (Mari shares her 3 big pieces of advice for you) or just someone interested in an assessment that Mari describes as “practical, predictive, and prescriptive,” this episode is a must-listen.


Host: Amy Bruske (3583)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Mari Martin (4294)

💡 What she does: President 

💡Company: Performance Strategies Group, Inc. 

💡Noteworthy: Mari started in communications consulting, discovered Kolbe in the Wall Street Journal, and built her own company around it. 

💡Where to find Mari: LinkedIn 

The Power of Kolbe in Personal Crises 

Mari Martin discusses the transformative power of the Kolbe approach during personal health crises. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one's mental energy and how it's expended, especially during challenging times. By being aware of one's natural instincts and how they play out in various environments, individuals can make informed decisions and navigate adversity with greater resilience. Mari's personal journey and her conscious decision to avoid being "Dr. Google" showcases the significance of using Kolbe to respond effectively to life's challenges. 

"I'm not saying that Kolbe is the answer. But what I am saying is that we have to interface with our environment, and understand how our natural instincts play out in that environment.” – Mari Martin 

Understanding Job Dynamics and Crafting Roles 

Mari highlights the importance of understanding the dynamics within job roles. By recognizing the demands of a job and comparing them to one's natural instincts, individuals can identify gaps and potential stress points. Mari's personal experience of identifying a gap in her Fact Finder trait and subsequently crafting her role to minimize stress serves as a testament to the adaptability and flexibility offered by the Kolbe approach. The emphasis is on building around strengths and crafting roles to align with one's natural instincts. 

 
Kolbe's Role in Practical Application of Strengths 

Mari contrasts the Kolbe approach with other tools like StrengthsFinder. While StrengthsFinder identifies strength themes, Kolbe provides insights into how to practically apply these strengths. For instance, Mari's theme

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Stephanie Clergé and guest Shara Wokal, CFO/CHRO of Riff Agency, dive into the world of Kolbe and discuss how Riff Agency integrates Kolbe into their hiring, onboarding, and team-building processes. Shara emphasizes the importance of consistency and intentionality in infusing Kolbe into the company culture and gives tips and insights into how others can do the same. 

Listen in to gain insights into how understanding natural instincts positively impact work and communication, and how to leverage Kolbe to create a more harmonious and productive work environment. 

 
Host: Stephanie Clergé (8363)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Shara Wokal (8771)

💡What they do: CFO/CHRO 

💡Company: Riff Agency 

💡Noteworthy: Integrates Kolbe into hiring and team-building, emphasizes consistency in company culture. 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

 
 Key Insights:

Integrating Kolbe into Hiring and Onboarding 

Shara Wokal discusses how Riff Agency uses Kolbe, a tool that identifies natural instincts, in their hiring, onboarding, and team-building processes. They utilize various Kolbe features like RightFit™ to understand new hires and their teammates. Weekly team meetings often include discussions about Kolbe, sharing stories and insights. Shara emphasizes the importance of consistency in integrating Kolbe into the company culture, allowing employees to be more free to be themselves and communicate openly. This approach fosters a positive impact on work and collaboration. 

Designing Work Environments to Support Individual Instincts 

The episode explores how Riff Agency designs physical work environments to align with individual instincts. Shara shares examples like having access to windows for those who initiate in Implementor or using tangible tools like mind menus and hierarchy pyramids. The physical environment is tailored to support employees' natural ways of working, enhancing productivity and satisfaction. This insight offers a unique perspective on how understanding natural instincts can be applied to the physical workspace. 

Promoting Gratitude and Recognition in the Workplace 

Shara reveals that Riff Agency starts every meeting by talking about gratitude wins, creating space for people to share personal and professional excitements. They also encourage gratitude and cheers among team members through various mediums, both in software and tangible forms. This practice fosters a positive workplace culture, emphasizing recognition and appreciation. It's a noteworthy insight into how simple practices can build a more supportive and engaged team environment. 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

This clip is an important one for understanding the basics of how Kolbe can work for you.

It’s the 4 components of the Kolbe System in under 4 minutes.

Not only does Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske break down how you can use Kolbe to identify, align, optimize and expand, but you’ll also learn of some innovative approaches to using Kolbe from Stephanie Clergé, Kolbe’s VP of People and Product Development.

"What makes Kolbe different than a lot of assessments out there is that it’s a complete system."  - Amy Bruske

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

This clip comes from the first season of Powered by Instinct, when Stephanie Clergé and Eric Herrera discussed an important step in understanding your instinctive strengths:

Comparing your Kolbe result with others.

Listen to Stephanie and Eric discuss the power being understanding the strengths of others and learn how you can use that information to improve your productivity and your ability to collaborate.

"We need those differing talents. Understand all of those around you in your world, and your world will become that much better."  - Eric Herrera

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Eric Herrera from Kolbe is joined by someone who knows how to get it right: Samir Wagle, Founder and Managing Partner of 11:11 Partners.  

Samir shares his experiences and strategies for building high-performing teams, aligning personal passions with professional performance, and the integral role Kolbe plays in their recruitment and team development processes. 

Samir talks about Kolbe’s role in identifying the ideal profiles for various roles and allowing clients to build stronger, more cohesive teams. He emphasizes the importance of “aligning your insides and your outsides” in finding a fulfilling career. In addition, Eric and Samir discuss hiring and recruiting trends, common mistakes to avoid, and why the most important thing you can do in an executive interview is make someone feel seen.  


Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Samir Wagle (6582)

💡What they do: Founder 

💡Company: 11:11 Partners 

💡Noteworthy: Samir specializes in building high-performing teams. 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

The Role of Trust in Team Building  

Samir emphasizes the importance of trust in building strong and successful teams. He explains how they use Kolbe assessments to better understand team members and foster trust within the team. By having a deep understanding of everyone's strengths and weaknesses, team members can trust and rely on each other more effectively. This leads to improved communication, collaboration, and overall team performance. 

"I think the biggest thing is trust. When you have the understanding of the strengths of people, you can really start to rely on those people, and you can really understand how they communicate," said Samir. 

Integrating Kolbe Assessments Into Leadership Development  

Samir shares how 11:11 Partners integrate Kolbe assessments into their leadership development programs. They use the assessments to help leaders better understand their strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of their team members. This deeper understanding allows leaders to make more informed decisions, delegate tasks more effectively, and ultimately build stronger teams. 

Utilizing Kolbe Assessments for Personal Growth  

Samir discusses the value of using Kolbe assessments for personal growth and self-awareness. The assessments can help individuals recognize their strengths and areas for improvement, providing valuable insights for personal and professional development. By understanding their unique profile, individuals can make more informed decisions about their careers and life choices. 

"It's [Kolbe assessments] also been really helpful for me personally — as I continue to grow as a leader — to understand my strengths and work on my development areas." 

The Significance of Accurate Role Fit  

Samir discusses the importance of accurate role fit for employee satisfaction and success. By identifying the ideal Kolbe profile for a specific role, organizations can ensure that individuals are well-suited to their positions, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity. This approach can help companies scale their businesses mo

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this special episode of Powered by Instinct, host David Kolbe sits down with renowned entrepreneur and coach, Dan Sullivan, to discuss the impact of Kolbe on personal and professional growth.  

Dan shares his experiences with the transformative power of the Kolbe A™Index, highlighting its ability to identify an individual's innate strengths and guide them towards the right opportunities. He emphasizes the many benefits Kolbe has offered the entrepreneurs he helps, how it fosters a more collaborative and effective environment by aligning individuals with their areas of strength, and why Kolbe is the “anchor profile” for Strategic Coach. 

Dan reflects on his coaching career and the importance of understanding clients' Kolbe profiles to tailor workshops and facilitate better communication. He shares how essential Kolbe is for hiring effectively, and how Kolbe has not only enhanced his coaching sessions but also transformed the lives of countless individuals by unlocking their true potential. 

 
Host: David Kolbe (8-2-7-3)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Dan Sullivan (2-2-10-4)

💡What they do: Entrepreneur and Coach 

💡Company: Strategic Coach 

💡Noteworthy: Pioneered innovative coaching methodologies for entrepreneurs and business leaders. 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

The Significance of Kolbe A Index in Identifying Strengths and Best Fit. Dan discusses how the Kolbe A Index has transformed the way companies identify individual strengths and best-fit positions for their employees. He credits Kathy Kolbe for developing this unique profiling system that provides valuable insights into employees' natural working styles, allowing for better alignment with roles that capitalize on their strengths and ultimately lead to greater success and satisfaction. 

Adapting Coaching Techniques to Different Kolbe Profiles. Dan shares his experience in coaching and how the Kolbe Wisdom has informed his approach to working with different clients. He explains that by understanding the Kolbe scores of his clients, he can tailor his coaching techniques to better suit their individual needs, resulting in more effective communication and understanding. This personalized approach enables Dan to better engage and support his clients in their personal and professional development. 

Additional Quotes 

1. [01:06:00] Dan Sullivan: "Kathy Kolbe went entrepreneur because it didn't answer a question and she created the thing that answers the question. Where's the strength of this person and where's the best place to fit in?" 
2. [01:07:00] Dan Sullivan: "Podcasting falls directly in the center of where my Kolbe strengths are. I love it. Yes. As long as I don't have to prepare." 
3. [01:09:00] Dan Sullivan: "The first thing I do when I walk in the room, I want to see their Kolbe, I want to see the Kolbe profiles. And there's a critical mass." 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Why should you be a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant?: The answers are too numerous and varied to share in one podcast episode, but Amy Bruske and Stephanie Clergé do their best to hit as many highlights as possible in this informative and engaging episode. 

Learn about Stephanie’s path from an ultimately unfulfilling career to an incredible coach, how she discovered Kolbe as the missing solution to client needs, and all the lessons she’s learned on the way to becoming a Kolbe Expert and indispensable part of the Kolbe Corp team. 

Amy and Stephanie delve into the power of the Kolbe System™ and what it offers Kolbe Consultants. They also discuss innovative ways they’ve seen Kolbe Consultants impact the business world and individual clients alike, and how Kolbe's continuous education and on-demand learning resources provide consultants with the tools to support their clients on a deeper level.  


Host: Amy Bruske (3583)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Stephanie Clergé (8363)

💡What they do: VP of People and Product Development 

💡Company: Kolbe Corp. 

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn 

Key Insights:

Kolbe Can Help You Grow Your Business 

 
Kolbe Certification is a gamechanger for a wide variety of coaches and consultants, no matter your goal. The program offers actionable advice on and sustainable resources for building a practice, getting clients, integrating Kolbe with your current offer, and much more. 

Kolbe Consulting Offers Community 

 
Resources and support are provided to Kolbe Consultants through the Certified Consultant Center (CCC). Consultants are given access to expert insights, continuing education, and tips and ideas from other members of the consultant community. 

The Kolbe System: A Complete Suite for Success 

 
In this episode, we dive into the simplicity and effectiveness of the Kolbe System for consultants. Starting with identifying individual strengths, the system aids collaboration with strategies for teamwork and alignment, ensuring that everyone's in a position to succeed. For hiring and expanding the team, it offers an objective solution. Regardless of the team or organization type, the Kolbe System can be tailored to fit any client needs, enhancing productivity and harmony. 

Innovative Applications of Kolbe with Stephanie Clergé 
 

Stephanie shares some innovative ways of implementing the Kolbe System. Whether it's infusing a new culture, creating high-performing teams, or facilitating smooth change management, Kolbe provides valuable insights and strategies. Through understanding and leveraging individuals' unique strengths, organizations can better navigate change and foster a more harmonious, productive work environment. 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Kolbe helps you understand the ways you naturally take action and interact with others. But unlike many assessments, Kolbe is particularly suitable for work environments and can be used at various stages, from hiring to alignment within an organization. That said, understanding your instinctive strengths is a game changer in every relationship, whether professional or personal. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Elizabeth Cook, a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant and Founder of Elizabeth Cook Consulting, LLC, joins our host Eric Herrera to discuss her first encounter with Kolbe, what changed once she took it, how she decided to become a consultant, the process behind it, and how she uses Kolbe with her clients. Also, you’ll definitely want to stay tuned for her theory on parents having a “favorite” child. 


Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Elizabeth Cook (8633)

What she does: Elizabeth is a career and leadership coach. 

Company: Elizabeth Cook Consulting, LLC 

Noteworthy: Elizabeth is also a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant. 

Where to find Elizabeth: LinkedIn  

🎙️Kolbe enables you to look at things through other people's lenses, especially in the work environment, leading to better interpersonal relations, understanding, and collaboration. However, Kolbe also helps elevate personal relationships. Take Elizabeth as an example. She is the mother of three. Although her daughters are adults, two of them always felt that the third sister is their parents’ favorite. Elizabeth and her husband fought against that, but it was not until they all did the assessment that they understood that the daughter considered the favorite had a similar MO to her parents, as opposed to the other two sisters, which led to an unconscious bias. ''I suppose we were biased towards her approach because that made sense to us, for both of us. That's how we approached it, and that's how she did. So, of course, we were rational; it made sense. It seemed like she was moving in the right direction. Whereas the other two were more frustrated. So it helped me understand. That constantly comes up — even though now I've had that knowledge and have been working with it — that constantly comes up in conversations with them in terms of trying to guide them or when they're asking me for advice, to think about it through their lens and not my own.'' 

🎙️Even if you are successful in your current role, it doesn't mean you are happy doing it or consider it your calling. That's where instinctive strengths come into play, helping you see, acknowledge, and embrace your instincts. So, whether you stay in the same role or change it, you'll deliver better results, as you and the people around you will understand and encourage your MO. ''They have a chance to — especially with everything happening in the world of work right now — take a broader view of how they view their work. And what they want from their work is looking at this bigger picture of how I can thrive and contribute at my best and not dread it every day.'' 

🎙️Not all entrepreneurs have the same MO. So contrary to the common misconception or

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

He didn’t feel comfortable in school. He didn’t fit in the corporate world. That didn’t mean he didn’t meet benchmarks or find himself achieving, it just meant he couldn’t be everything he wanted to be.  

Now, Hutton is the CEO and Founder of his own business, Beyond M&A, and the author of two books: People First and Diversity of Action. He is finally thriving, and he’s using the knowledge he gained from his personal journey to empower others. 

Hutton uses a practice called technology due diligence. The goal is to place the people who build tech solutions first and show investors the value behind such teams. Kolbe is part of the process, and in this episode, Hutton shares how taking the Kolbe assessment changed his and his clients’ business perspective and how he helps others use their strengths to reach their full potential. 

 
Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

 Name: Hutton Henry (2295)

What he does: Hutton is the CEO and founder of Beyond M&A.  

Company: Beyond M&A 

Noteworthy: Hutton works with VC, private equity, and corporate investors, assessing tech teams on their behalf. The practice is called technology due diligence.  

Where to find Hutton: LinkedIn 

🎙️You may still be on the path to discovering your strengths, and Kolbe can help guide you toward your true self by understanding why you acted a certain way in the past and determining your natural way of engaging in professional and personal interactions. ''I always thought I wasn't doing well at school because I'd had a weird upbringing, and no one was watching. So I was being quite delinquent at school. But what I got from the Kobe result is that I don't need that type of very structured academia. So it changed my story from somebody who could not do something because of a disadvantage in education to this quite suited me; I just didn't realize that. So you could have given me the best school in the world, and I still would've done the same,'' shares Hutton. 

🎙️ People Over Technology and How Kolbe Helps Teams Embrace Individual Strengths 

''The technology is the tangible output, and that's the thing that you can track and measure. But if we don't look after the teams, you will find that they start to worry. And there are so many things that can happen in an M&A transaction.  

Our investors are people-focused, and they want to look after. So, it's a relationship in the first place to agree to be invested in or acquired. And so, both parties want to relate with each other. 

So we have a pre-deal position and help companies after the deal has been completed. We will run Kolbe assessments before a deal for certain investors who are open to this and where it's appropriate to the deal. So everyone will look at the sensitivity of what's going to happen and say, ‘Well, you know what? It would be interesting to know what that is.’ 

I'm looking for a couple of factors. Number one is innovation. That's what investors are looking for. They tend to buy something that's working well and want to scale. The other piece is syst

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Finally, she had been seen for what she can do, not what needed to be fixed. Now, as the CEO of BoldHaus, with Executive VP Phil Dyer by her side, Angelique uses Kolbe to ensure ALL of her clients are seen as who they truly are. 

The results, like their business, have been bold. 

Join Angelique, Phil, and Kolbe Corp CEO David Kolbe as we kick off season 3 with a bang. In this episode, the BoldHaus duo share the story behind BoldHaus and the role of Kolbe in the company's rebranding. They also recapitulate their first encounter with Kolbe and how it helped them build a team and grow as leaders, and how Kolbe has helped them provide high-quality service to their clients, while maybe even saving a few marriages! 


Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Angelique Rewers (6392) and Phil Dyer (5393)

What they do: Angelique is the CEO, and Phil is the executive VP at BoldHaus.  

Company: BoldHaus 

Noteworthy: Angelique and Phil use Kolbe internally and externally, helping clients build solid teams and grow as leaders.  

Where to find them: Angelique: LinkedIn; Phil: LinkedIn  

Podcast Insights 

🎙️One size fits all doesn’t exist — even for companies operating in the same industry. You need to be able to understand your clients. What's more, teams consist of individuals of different strengths, led by leaders with unique superpowers. The growth starts when they are aware of those and know where the change is necessary, whether within a team or processes. Companies like BoldHaus can assist you in this process. ''When we look at our client retention rate, when we look at the success rate of our clients compared to the industry averages, there's no question that us being able to get inside their brain and see how they're going to operate and take action instinctively allows us to be a better trainer, a better coach, a better consultant, a better advisor to them. We are clear with people. So whenever we walk into a strategy with a client, for example, we're like, 'Look, this is how we're built, and this is how you are built. And so, a couple of times you might see how we've done something, but that doesn't mean you have to do it that way.' So we're always reinforcing their freedom to be themselves,'' says Angelique. 

️Kolbe helps create relationship bliss.  Given the benefits, Kolbe brings to relationships in the business arena, it doesn't surprise why many move it to the private sphere. ''I'm 5-3-9-3, married to 7-7-3-3. So we have two action modes where there are significant — Follow Thru and Quick Start — where there is significant potential for conflict. [...] There were a lot of times when my wife was getting frustrated with some things. And the nice thing is understanding the Kolbe and having that seven-page blueprint on how to operate effectively together, whether in business or life, is super helpful. [...] The little tweaks can make massive differences in removing conflict and potential from conflict, from all types of relationships, whether it's boss to employee, team member to team member or spouse to spouse or spouse to adult children,'' explains Phil.  

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Kolbe Corp’s Stephanie Clergé and Eric Herrera go through their Kolbe A Index results and customized 18-page report, discussing tips, insights, and resources available throughout. It’s a great resource to learn more about your instinctive strengths and how to utilize them. So join us as we break down the many benefits available in your Kolbe A Index report. 

Guests-at-a-Glance 

💡 Names: Stephanie Clergé (8363) and Eric Herrera (5392)

💡 What they do: Stephanie is Kolbe's VP of Training & Consulting and Eric is Kolbe’s VP of Sales. 

💡 Company: Kolbe Corp 

💡 Noteworthy: Stephanie is an 8363 and Eric is a 5392. 

💡 Where to find Stephanie and Eric: Stephanie’s Linkedin and Eric’s Linkedin 

Podcast Insights 

⚡The Kolbe A Index helps you define and embrace your strengths. It gives you a unique perspective on what you can bring to the table and helps you get to know yourself better. ''The Kolbe A is going to tell us all about our striving instincts.  It's not about how smart you are or the skills that you have. It's not about your personality, what motivates you, or whether you're an introvert or an extrovert. But what the Kolbe A Index measures are what we call your striving instincts. And so, this is how you naturally solve problems, make decisions, and take action. But specifically, it's about how you take action when you're free to be yourself.'' 

⚡After you take the Kolbe A, you get a customized report full of tips and tricks. The report contains multiple pages that include suggestions on how to use your strengths, audio explanations, ways to maximize your energy, career advice, and much more. “Make sure you go back to listen to the online version of your Kolbe A results because Kathy's going to add some additional tips, give you some additional insight into your specific four number result there. And then again, if you've read your Kolbe A result, but it was a couple of years ago, a couple of months ago, go back through. The more you read it, the more that you learn more about yourself and the more you pick up additional things.'' 

⚡Dos and Don'ts put a light on what should be your focus area. However, we often waste a lot of time and energy on tasks and activities that we are not good at for a good reason — our approaches differ from what is expected in a given situation. Therefore, taking an assessment such as Kolbe makes it easier for everyone to develop working models resulting in efficiency. ''The dos and don'ts are part of what makes it actionable for people. People get confused with the dos and don'ts. The dos are what you would naturally do if free to be yourself, and the don'ts are what you would not naturally do. So a lot of times, people look at the don'ts list, and they're like, 'Well, wait a second. Do I do these, or do I not do these?''' 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

More and more individuals are either quietly quitting their job or worse. Fortunately, there’s a missing link to engagement that can help both companies and employees find a better path forward. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, David Kolbe and Amy Bruske, react to the Gallup poll and offer their insights. They discuss: 

• The downward trend of employee disengagement 
• Why leaders are in pain, too 
• The biggest reasons for concerns 
• The role remote work plays in engagement 
• How Kolbe helps companies and employees connect 
• The two questions every manager needs to ask their team 
• Minor changes you can implement to make a massive difference

Hosts: Amy Bruske (3583) and David Kolbe (8273)

Key Insights  

⚡Leaders are disengaged, too. So, taking care of them is vital. Amy says, "I think we need to talk about the employees, but I also want to touch base a little bit on leaders because they are burnt out. And the Gallup survey that came out some time in late 2022 — I think it was right around October or November — was showing that only one in three leaders are engaged." 

⚡Companies need to embrace employee strengths. No amount of perks and parties will replace the need for workers to use their instinctive strengths in their daily role. Amy says, "People who absolutely love their jobs — and yes, I'm going to use the word love — love their job like it's a fit. In order for it to be a fit, it has to fit you in all three parts of the mind, which we can talk about in a minute. But those are the people that tend to be more engaged, and they want to stick around." 

⚡Kolbe helps you ask the right questions. One suggested solution to disengagement is to make sure managers talk more 1-on-1 with employees. But it’s vital you know what to ask. "One of the things that's just so simple and straightforward is asking someone, ‘How have you gotten to use your strengths this week?' or ‘What is the one task that you either keep putting off or is causing you the most stress?’ There are some really basic questions. If you haven't had those conversations with people this week, try those out — because it makes a big difference." 

⚡Remote workers have a hard time connecting with the company. Remote work has become more common after the pandemic, but is it good for employee engagement? Amy says, "Worker concerns were the clarity of expectations, connection to the mission or the purpose of the company, and then opportunities to learn and grow. I do worry about younger people, younger in their careers. So early in your career, in any environment, how do you have opportunities to learn and grow where you're not getting to just observe some of it through osmosis, that you get some of the learning about how people get things done and solve problems? You're missing that too."  

⚡Small things can make a big difference. Motivating your disengaged employees doesn't have to be a huge project. Instead, start small and focus on the little things. Amy says, "For any leaders that are listening right now, it's key to let you know that it's not about massive changes. So we're not talki

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

It doesn’t have to be. 

With the right knowledge and understanding of each other’s instinctive strengths, you can work together with the most important people in your life without destroying your relationship — this episode’s guests (and the host) are proof!

In this episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, our host David Kolbe welcomes Jerry Lujan and Kelley Lujan, a father-daughter duo now working together. Jerry is the CEO of Elevation 180, and Kelley is the Strategic Optimizer there, providing much-needed strengths to work in conjunction with her father. Jerry and Kelley talk with Kolbe CEO David Kolbe, himself no stranger to family businesses, about the benefits of knowing everyone’s MO, why open communication is critical, and how to help a strengths-based family business shine. 

It’s possible to strengthen your family business and your family bond at the same time. Take a listen to learn how.


Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guests-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Jerry Lujan (6572) and Kelley Lujan (9722)

💡 What they do: Jerry is the CEO of Elevation 180, and Kelley is the Strategic Optimizer at Elevation180.

💡 Company: Elevation180

💡 Noteworthy: Jerry and Kelley are a dynamic father-daughter duo running a family business together.

💡 Where to find them: Jerry's LinkedIn | Kelley's LinkedIn

Key Insights 

⚡Kolbe is beneficial for business relationships. Knowing your Kolbe Index helps you understand other people and lean into your instincts. Jerry says, "It fits my lifelong dream of bringing Kelley into the business with me and working together. And I'd have to say that it saved our business relationship. Obviously, it didn't have any impact on our personal relationship, but knowing each other so well was key to being able to talk about getting in the right lane or getting in the right position to be able to have the energy to play at the highest level."

⚡ Establish clear boundaries. Setting boundaries is vital for making a family business work. Kelley says, "We initiated some guidelines off the bat that in front of clients and at work, he's Jerry, and at home, he's still Dad. And we try and separate those two. But I would say, within the first month of working with each other, we were in Florida with a client. When we left, I was asking him for some advice, and we're talking back and forth, and he answered me very directly and how a boss would answer a new employee. I broke down because I was speaking from past experience and wanting him to mentor me as a dad. And we completely crossed paths when that happened. And I don't think he realized at first why I was breaking down, and I didn't have the words to explain. [...] And since we had that conversation, it hasn't happened again, and we've moved forward so strong, knowing each other really well, and having these tools like Kolbe to balance off."

⚡ Self-awareness is key. Developing self-awareness allows you to play to your strengths and build a healthy work relationship. Kelley says, "I think having that self-awareness is driving him so much further because I'm also involved in oth

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Great strengths-based coaching requires expertise on instinctive strengths as well as expertise in coaching. It’s essential to know how to create buy-in from the top down, and to create a safe environment that allows individuals that show resistance to ask questions and eliminate doubts so the entire team can commit to increasing productivity, lowering stress, and improving collaboration. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, our guest is Jessica Harrington, Executive Business Coach at Carson Coaching. Jessica is a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant and recipient of the 2022 Kolbe Professional Award. If you’re interested in developing as a strengths-based leader, you don’t want to miss this one!  

Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Jessica Harrington (7823)

💡 What she does: Jessica is Executive Business Coach at Carson Coaching. 

💡 Company: Carson Coaching 

💡 Noteworthy: Jessica was recently awarded the 2022 Kolbe Professional Award for being an outstanding Kolbe Certified Consultant. 

💡 Where to find Jessica: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

⚡Some people are hesitant to take an assessment. Therefore, a consultant's job is to create a safe environment and help those individuals share their doubts and ask questions. ''I was matched with a team of ten people, and one of them was resistant to what they would consider an assessment index. And so, luckily, we had the opportunity — I feel it's important to do this, especially given that I work with smaller teams — to have one-on-ones before I went out there and met with the group in-person. And so, that opportunity was pivotal in their understanding of the difference that Kolbe brings to the table versus other experiences they had. It was a great foundation for us to have a great meeting to the point where that person sent an email after I left and thanked us for that opportunity.'' 

⚡Kolbe helps team members embrace and make the most of each other's differences, whether it is a new team or a group of people who have been working together for decades. As a result, people can define their strengths and accept that these may differ from their colleagues' strengths. Moreover, if used correctly, these differences will lead to positive outcomes, primarily in finance. ''And so, let's celebrate this. It is a huge opportunity for you to specialize here and there, to shine a light on it in a different way, and say there's a middle road that we have to take, especially in an industry that's so focused on compliance and doing certain things a certain way.'' 

⚡Kolbe is an excellent hiring tool, but it can also help you eliminate obstacles that prevent your team from delivering desired results. So again, it is up to Kolbe consultants to show how the assessment can be a game changer in a given work environment. ''Kolbe gets brought in when a lot is going on and in [the case of] some stri

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

• Do you spend the majority of my time working in ways that energize you versus on tasks that drain you?   
• Do you impose my way of doing things on others?    
• Do you know how each person on your team solves problems?  
• Do you know how to strategically group people together to solve problems and get desired results?  
• Do you effectively help each member of your team minimize stress in their position?   
• As your company grows, are you confident in your ability to create or redesign roles for the future?   

Follow along to see how your answers these essential challenges compare with Amy and David’s experiences, and to learn how you can grow as a strengths-based leader! 

Hosts-at-a-Glance 

Names: David Kolbe (8273) and Amy Bruske 3583)

What they do: David is the CEO of Kolbe Corp and Amy is the President of Kolbe Corp. 

Company: Kolbe Corp 

Noteworthy: Amy is one of Kolbe Corp's three senior master consultants. She is a sought-after speaker for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and entrepreneurial organizations in various industries. David works to empower individuals, businesses, and non-profits to use conative strengths in the ways they care about most. His combined experiences as a Legislative Director, lawyer, and CEO, while being a husband and father of four, bring an unusually interesting perspective to his work and presentations. 

Where to find Amy: LinkedIn 

Where to find David: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️As a leader, you are also a team member, and it is in everyone's best interest for you to be aligned with your strengths. It means that no one expects you to know all the answers. But they need you to meet your needs and focus your energy on resolving the issues you are best at. That way, you lead by example and encourage them to do the same. ''There are enough challenges out there. So I want to remind everyone that mental energy is finite. You only have a certain amount of it to give. So you have to make hard choices every day. There are times when you have to work against your grain; that is the reality of being a leader. But you wanna minimize that because you need to have some energy left over for some of the most important decision-making.'' 

🎙️An effective leader knows their success formula. So, aside from building or delegating experienced employees to build processes and selecting a high-quality tech stack, an effective leader also understands the importance of gathering excellent individuals and encouraging them to establish and use their strengths. ''Building a team around you takes time, but getting the right people in place means I don't have to do those things. So that is my constant focus.'' 

🎙️A team of like-minded individuals doesn't guarantee success. On the contrary, a collaboration between different approaches is more likely to get results. In addition, such a team allows a leader to focus on more strategic tasks. Therefore, if you’re wondering what

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

To explore why that is, our host Eric Herrera welcomes Libby Paul, Talent Development Manager at Keating & Associates. They talk about the benefits of Kolbe in the financial space, how it matches employees with work that fulfills them, and the impact of Kolbe on team development. 

Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Libby Paul (8623)

💡 What she does: She's the Talent Development Manager at Keating & Associates. 

💡 Company: Keating & Associates 

💡 Noteworthy: Libby provides talent development services and coordination to approximately 50 staff. Through thoughtful onboarding plans, development of in-house training resources, facilitating continuing education and growth opportunities, staff supervision, and connection to the KA culture, she loves supporting and elevating her staff to work to their unique abilities and experience ongoing growth at KA. She's a Kolbe™ Certified Consultant, providing interpretation and workshop services within the organization and to her valued business clients. 

💡 Where to find Libby: LinkedIn 

Key Insights  

⚡The financial space is about understanding people. The financial field involves not just money management but people management as well. So, it's important to understand people and relationships. Libby explains, "Financial advisors are in the relationship and productivity space as well as in the advice space. So, they're busy working with individuals and families. They're working in marriages. They're also working with business owners, helping them move forward, not just in a financial way, but reaching the dreams and goals that they have for their personal lives and for their business lives. So I think when you have financial advisors who know that their work with their clients on their financial goals is going to touch that personal side, they are really looking at how can I help this individual, or this company, or this spousal group reach their aspirations in a meaningful way." 

⚡ The more you understand your clients, the better you can help them. Knowing your own Kolbe Index can significantly improve your relationships with others, including your clients. Libby says, "Being able to know our clients inside and out and understand how they operate naturally really helps our advisors to be able to come alongside their clients and tailor their advice to help them reach their goals in a meaningful way, to help them take action naturally to reach those goals, and it also gives them a lot of good communication insight into how these clients are going to receive the information from them." 

⚡ Kolbe allows people to be the best authentic versions of themselves. The most powerful thing about Kolbe is that it allows people to be authentic and true to themselves. Libby explains, "I really had my eye on certification for years. I've been with Keating for seven years, and I was greatly impacted by Kolbe at the very beginning of my time at Keating because I have a passion for coaching others and wanting them to be the very best, authentic versions of themselves and seeing how Kolbe enables people

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

A greater understanding of instinctive strengths can also provide incredible support in your personal journey, and in the growth of those you care about most — including your children.  

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, our host and CEO David Kolbe welcomes Kolbe Certified™ Consultant Clare Willson. Clare shares the breakthrough she felt when she first took the Kolbe A™ Index and why she decided to become a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant and Youth Specialist. She details how Kolbe helped her empower her son and how she helps other parents do the same.  

If only Clare had discovered Kolbe when she was young. It would have helped her process and appreciate her strengths when it comes to organizing. If you need to create shortcuts and need flexibility when it comes to working with systems and procedures, make sure to tune in for some great conversation on the topic!
 

Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

• Name: Clare Willson (9234)

• What she does: Clare is a team strategist at Riff Creative Studio. 

• Company: Riff Creative Studio 

• Noteworthy: Clare is also a Kolbe Certified Consultant, a Kolbe Certified™ Youth Specialist, and a former teacher. 

• Where to find Clare: LinkedIn

Podcast Insights 

🎙️Kolbe helped us improve our family relations. Like most of our guests, Clare had other family members take a Kolbe Assessment. Once they saw each other's results and compared them, it was easier for everyone to understand the other and improve their communication. ''My dad was a strategic coach, so he had also taken Kolbe. [...] My mom took it, my sister, my brother, their spouses, and all of our kids. [...] My son is ten years old. So it's baked into how we interact with each other. 

🎙️We can be more effective parents if we embrace our children's strengths and teach them to do the same. Clare was a teacher and is now a coach working with startups, business owners, and parents. As she says, working at school and having Kolbe ''under her sleeves'' helped her build a relationship with her son and motivate him to be his true self. However, she knows that's challenging for many parents, so she dedicates one part of her calling to showing them how. ''You don't have to be an expert to approach your kids this way. I think it does start with an understanding that the Conative is a separate, special part of the mind, that it's a real gift, and that there's a pattern that is predictable and that exists not only with you but with each of your children. And if you can find a way to work with that and understand it, you don't have to be an expert and know all the nuances. You have to start and learn as you go, and be curious.'' 

🎙️Kolbe builds better team players in business and daily life. ''If you are using this for your business, then you know that it works, and you know its power. And so, maybe it's just a question of

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

“I realized why people thought I was crazy!” — In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Cameron Herold, the founder of COO Alliance, joins our host Amy Bruske to discuss Kolbe and how taking the assessment changed his perspective on how he approaches diversity of strengths in the work environment. Cameron also discusses company culture, leadership dynamics, and the breakthrough moment when he discovered just how much not understanding the instinctive strengths of others impacted his ability to collaborate with them.


Host: Amy Bruske (3583)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Cameron Herold (4393)

What he does: Cameron is the founder of COO Alliance. 

Company: COO Alliance 

Noteworthy: Cameron is also the host of the Second in Command Podcast and the author of several books. He is known by the nickname the “CEO Whisperer”. 

Where to find Cameron: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️Kolbe helped me understand that our differences should connect and not separate us. Similar to our previous guests, Cameron explains how Kolbe brought a new perspective on how people get things done, especially in the workplace. Being different, as Cameron says, is an advantage in helping businesses grow. ''I did my Kolbe profile in 2002, then I did it again around ten years ago, and both times, the number was the same: 4, 3, 9, 3. So I feel confident that that's my grounding. But one thing I had to learn from doing some work with Kolbe was how to work with the high Fact Finders and the high Follow Thrus to understand their styles so that I can accommodate them and not be too fast for them. [...] I think the biggest gift I can give them is to say, 'Do you have any more questions? What other questions might you have?' Or sometimes to say, 'Here's my bucket. Keep telling me all the cool shit you want to. I might not let it sit in my brain, but I'm quite happy every once in a while to let you tell me more,' because that’s what they need to do.'' 

🎙️It took me years to recognize and understand my strengths, but once I did it, everything fell into place. Cameron loves to work under pressure and leave everything to the last minute. This approach has always worked for him. However, it was hard for him and those around him to understand or approve of his way of doing things. ''I'd built three companies prior to doing my first Kolbe profile. So, I'd already done some pretty big substantial businesses. When I did the Kolbe, all of a sudden, I realized why people thought I was crazy, why they thought I was making it up on the fly or shooting from the hip, or why my thinking out loud bothered them. Because they didn't understand where it was coming from and how it made me. So it gave them a glimpse into me.'' 

🎙️My goal is to help my manager grow as a leader. Cameron is an entrepreneur, speaker, and educator. He is a lifelong learner and believes in constant growth. In addition, he is on a mission to share his skills and knowledge with others and help his team memb

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

David and Dana also discuss the impact Kolbe has had on her professional life, why Kolbe is the only assessment she uses with clients and with new and existing employees, and how taking the assessment helped her grow as a leader. 

Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Dana Anspach (6582)

What she does: Dana is the founder and CEO of Sensible Money, LLC. 

Company: Sensible Money, LLC             

Noteworthy: Dana is an influential thought leader in financial services and gives advice on financial planning and retirement. She is also a Kolbe Certified Consultant.  

Where to find Dana: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️Kolbe changed the way I see people. Dana was the type of person who, as she says, thought her way was the only way to do certain things. As a result, she didn't understand why others took different approaches and struggled with assignments while she finished quickly. But then, she took the Kolbe assessment, which was a life-changer. The results helped her understand herself and, most importantly, her coworkers. ''I used to be a lot more arrogant in thinking that my way of doing things was best. And I would think, 'This is easy for me; why can't you do it?' And then I started to see things so differently. This is easy for me because that's within my strengths, and that is easy for them because it's within their strengths.'' 

🎙️Kolbe is an essential part of our hiring and employee training. Moreover, Dana's company suggests clients take Kolbe A as it helps the team understand clients better, how they collect and process information, and determine their needs. As a result, Kolbe has become an integral part of the company culture. ''We train on it every year. We have a folder with everybody's Kolbe A indexes and a folder with their A to A with all their immediate team members. And they can request one with anyone on the team if they want to see it. And so, once a year, we ask everyone to go in — it's part of the training we have built into our process — to look at it, and we will ask them to share some things they learned from revisiting their Kolbe. We'll ask them to share some things they saw and insights they had in working with others.'' 

🎙️It takes maturity and something like Kolbe A for leaders to acknowledge that they are not perfect. When asked whether the Kolbe assessment had a more significant impact on her productivity or leadership skills, Dana said that it was the latter. ''Leadership starts at the top, and if you're not willing to look inside yourself and some of that shifts to the affective side of being able to say, 'I'm willing to look at myself and see what needs to change to be a more effective leader and

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

First of all, you’ll want to have an appreciation of what your result means.  

So, in this episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, our host Amy Bruske walks us through the four Action Modes®: Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor. She explains Kolbe numbers in detail and shares tips to help you better understand your results, and how you can use them going forward.


Host: Amy Bruske (3583)

Key Insights  

⚡ All Kolbe A results are positive and equal. It's important to understand that there are no right or wrong Kolbe results. Amy explains, "All results are positive. So, there are no good or bad or right or wrong Kolbe results. All of the results are absolutely positive and equal. So, one person might have an eight in one of Kolbe’ Action Modes and another person a two — those are equally positive. So, people have the same amount of mental energy or striving energy to get things done — you are equal to anybody else in your ability to execute." 

⚡ Kolbe A is unchanging. Our surroundings or genetics don't determine our instincts. And the same goes for our Kolbe A results. Amy says, "The good part about that is you can know what to count on in yourself and other people. The bad part about that is if you're trying to change your significant other, you can stop now because that is not going to work. There are some things about how people take action that are natural and are not going to change over time." 

⚡ There are four Kolbe Action Modes. Kolbe's four Action Modes show how you take action and approach problems. Amy says, "Fact Finder is how you gather and share information. Follow Thru is how you organize or design things. Quick Start is how you deal with risk and uncertainty, and Implementor is how you handle space and tangibles."

Episode Highlights  

The Fact Finder mode is how you handle information 

"Fact Finder is how you gather and share information. We all give information; we all receive information. How you do that falls on this continuum from someone who is going to be very specific in that seven through ten range up to someone in the one through three range who is going to simplify." 

The Follow Thru mode is how you organize and design 

"Think of this as a continuum from someone who is systematic on the seven through ten range up to someone in the one to three range who is more adaptable. Now, those of you who fall in the seven through ten range in Follow Thru, you do your best problem-solving when you design a plan first, when you absolutely have a system in place for how things get done, and you're the one who naturally gets pleasure out of crossing something off your list." 

The Quick Start mode is how you handle risk and uncertainty  

"Think of it as a continuum from someone who is naturally going to jump in and innovate solutions up to someone who's going to stabilize. And those of you that fall in the seven through ten range, you do your best problem-solving when you can experiment. You jump in, and you try things out." 

The Implementor mode is how you handle space and tangibles 

"Think of it as this continuum from someone who is going

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Welcome to the 10th episode of Powered by Instinct. In the previous nine episodes, we talked with Kolbe experts, CEOs, and entrepreneurs about hiring, onboarding, employee engagement, company culture, and how the Kolbe A™ Index helps improve these processes.  

You’ll find answers to the following questions, and much more: 

• What is the Kolbe A Index? 
• What assessments should I be taking, and should I combine them with Kolbe? 
• Why should I use Kolbe for hiring? 
• How can Kolbe help me build and maintain an engaged culture? 
• What has Kolbe done for other businesses and individuals, and how can it do the same for me? 

This episode is chock-full of information, innovation, and insight to help you take your business, your team, and your career to new levels, powered by instincts. 


Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Podcast Insights 

🎙️The Kolbe A Index is an assessment of your strengths, your natural abilities, and the way you creatively solve problems. In the first episode of Powered by Instinct, we talked with the creator of Kolbe Index, Kathy Kolbe. We discussed what distinguishes it from other similar assessments and explained the revelations it leads to. ''So, it's not how smart you are; it's not your personality type. It's how you get things done when you do what is best — when you do it your natural way. So, what are your natural inclinations in problem-solving?'' says Kathy. 

🎙️The Kolbe Index helps you improve your hiring process. Companies use different tests and take different interviewing approaches to find the best fit for a particular role within their organization. But sometimes, even the best candidates do not meet their expectations. A Kolbe assessment is a valuable tool to avoid such a situation. ''People know what to say in an interview. I used to train on behavioral interviewing for years, and we would coach people on how to answer interview questions. And so, if you ask someone what they will do or how they will handle a situation, they know what you're looking for — there's a right answer. And so, by looking at it using an objective assessment, like the Kolbe Index, you're gonna get the information that you need. It also takes out that bias you might have when you listen to someone,'' explains Amy Bruske, President of Kolbe Corp. 

🎙️The Kolbe System™ helps you improve employee engagement. Culture is one of the core elements of your company. It is a tool that enables you to align your vision and mission with the rest of the team. But if you want your employees to work on a shared goal, you must nurture a culture of open communication and trust and allow them to show and use their natural strengths. The Kolbe Index helps you identify those and boost employee morale, teamwork, and productivity. ''If you have people engaged in their roles, they're a great fit for the culture of the organization, and they're a fit for their job. So that person will love their job, and engagement automatically goes up. And those are the people you want to build the future on. So an engaged culture is one where everyone's firing on all cylinders, contributing at high levels, and there is teamwork and knowing who should be doing what. Those kinds of

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

The realities of the pandemic, combined with technological advances, have created a new era where remote work is a standard part of business. Company culture is critical, a bigger mission is vital, and an environment that employees value is essential. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, our host David Kolbe welcomes Stefan Wissenbach, the founder and CEO of Engagement Multiplier. After spending years in consultancy, Stefan realized his purpose was to help companies improve employee engagement by offering tools that can measure and build upon it. After all, as Stefan says, “what gets measured can be improved.” 

Stefan and David discuss steps to improve the employee experience, and Stefan shares a valuable framework that he refers to as ABC: Alignment, Belonging, and Clarity. They also talk successful teams.  


Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Stefan Wissenbach (5492)

What he does: Stefan is the founder and CEO of Engagement Multiplier. 

Company: Engagement Multiplier 

Noteworthy: Stefan has been working with entrepreneurs and business leaders for three decades on an industry that ''hit the headlines'' once the pandemic began and continues to be a giant priority in the post-pandemic business world: employee engagement.  

Where to find Stefan: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️It's time for companies to focus on employee experience. Companies put a lot of effort into measuring specific business segments, such as finance. But, as Stefan suggests, we need to extend that practice and measure employee experience if we want our business to thrive. ''We spend a huge amount of time in business measuring financial performance. [...] Also, if we're doing any marketing, we are very clear on measuring stats. [...] For many years, I spent a lot of time measuring the guest experience but not enough time, in my opinion, on measuring the employee experience. And yet, without a great employee experience, there is no great customer experience.'' 

🎙️A sense of belonging is as essential as the paycheck. A high salary is not the strongest retention tool in the modern-day business world. On the contrary, today's workforce wants to feel valued; employees want to know that their opinions and efforts matter. ''We're in the era of belonging. People want to feel part of something. It's right in the middle of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. If you remove it, people are just there for a paycheck. Those are the employees you're gonna lose. But self-actualization and everything else is built on belonging. So, to create a sense of belonging, being open with your team and communicating with them about the organization and their perception of it, what you're doing and everything else is fundamental.'' 

🎙️Promote open communication. Employee engagement will improve once you develop a culture of trust and communication. Companies must encourage employees to speak openly about the things that positively or negatively affect their productivity and share ideas, doubts, and concerns. A leadership team may comprise experts capable of creating a good communication strategy, but if you are making it for employees, you

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

So, why not get two visionaries together to help provide more insight for everyone about the people part of business? 

In this episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, Kolbe Corp CEO and Visionary David Kolbe welcomes Mark O'Donnell, the CEO of and Visionary at EOS Worldwide. They talk about how the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) prepares you for tough times, why culture beats strategy, how EOS utilizes Kolbe and vice-versa, and why fun-loving teams are more productive. 

 

Host: David Kolbe (8-2-7-3)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

💡 Name: Mark O'Donnell (2-2-10-3)

💡 What he does: He's the CEO and Visionary at EOS Worldwide. 

💡 Company: EOS Worldwide 

💡 Noteworthy: Before becoming the Visionary at EOS Worldwide and an Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) Implementer™, Mark was a self-described serial entrepreneur. Now, he's living his ideal life and is passionate about helping other entrepreneurs get there too. 

💡 Where to find Mark: LinkedIn 

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Key Insights  

⚡ EOS is a tailor-made system that prepares you for tough times. Every business goes through some rough patches. That's just how the world works. So, how do you prepare your business for those tough and unpredictable times? You put rock-solid systems in place. Mark talks about how EOS helps companies prepare for the unpredictable. "It was challenging, exciting, and most of all, fulfilling to see that these companies running on EOS were performing better. They were withstanding the storm in ways that other companies couldn’t. Are you familiar with 'Getting Things Done’ by David Allen? He talks about setting up a system that you can execute when you're sick and in bed with the flu. And EOS, as a system, is the equivalent of that — it is a really simple system, and you can execute on that system in any environment. And so, when you're under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion; you sink to the lowest level of your training and preparation. And EOS was just tailor-made for that." 

⚡ Cohesive and fun-loving teams are more productive. While execution is vital, some things are far more critical to a company's success, especially if we look at the long haul. According to Mark, culture can make all the difference. He explains, "I would argue that cohesive and fun-loving teams can achieve high levels of execution and productivity over the long haul over a team that is just really good at executing, but they hate each other. So, it's a little bit about longevity, and a little bit of it is more of a human approach to it because we got one life to live here. And why would you spend time working with people you don't like, doing things you don't like, even though you might be good at it?" 

KEY QUOTE FROM MARK O'DONNELL:

"Kolbe is the tool that our Implementers teach at a very high level, and we've always been an organization that believes in simplicity and getting the most done in the least amount of time. And Kolbe is that one tool that can make a h

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Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

You’ve heard of assessments like the Kolbe Index, DiSC, Predictive Index, and Clifton Strengths. But, do you have a true appreciation for how they can help your team and what other issues may still be in play afterwards?  Fear not, because we’re here to make sense of it all and help set your team up for sustained success. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Eric Herrera welcomes Stephanie Clergé, the VP of Training and Consulting at Kolbe Corp. The two discuss the three parts of the mind and the various assessments used for each. They also touch upon The Kolbe System™ and what differentiates it from other programs. Finally, they explain how organizations can use these assessments to reduce stress, improve collaboration, and increase productivity. 


Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Stephanie Clergé (8363)

What she does: Stephanie is the VP of Training and Consulting at Kolbe Corp. 

Company: Kolbe Corp 

Noteworthy: Stephanie's areas of ease, energy and excellence: Speaking, Training, Executive and Leadership Coaching, Instructional Design, Manager and New Manager Coaching, Career Coaching, Outplacement Coaching, Leadership, and Team Training and Consulting, etc. 

Where to find Stephanie: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️Assessments are a valuable addition to hiring and onboarding. Various psychometric assessments, including Kolbe Indexes, help companies get to know their new and existing employees faster and better, especially now that remote work has become the norm. ''Assessments have been important because they are reducing the time, especially if you've got a new person, it takes to get going. But also in today's environment, when we've got distributed teams, people are no longer in the same office together; there's a lot more remote work and a lot more hybrid work and those kinds of things. I think it's also a great way for individuals to get to know each other, set expectations clearly, and help employees when they're struggling with their work.'' 

🎙️The Kolbe assessment is for the Conative part of the mind. As we discuss the human mind, we can't miss mentioning three parts: Cognitive, Affective, and Conative. There are different assessments for each part of the mind. The Kolbe Index, for instance, specializes in the mind's Conative part. ''Kolbe is in a class all by itself. [...] It tells us about how we naturally gather and share information; how we naturally organize and arrange and how much structure we put into things; how we deal with risk and uncertainty; how we deal with the tangible or physical things around us; and how we solve problems.'' 

🎙️Each assessment has its unique purpose. Finding an assessment type is not a problem, but choosing the right one may be challenging. ''Make sure that the assessment you're looking at is measuring what it says it's going to measure. Don't take the latest 'What Disney princess are you?' quiz and expect it to yield results that are valid and reliable. Know what you're getting; know if

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Amy Bruske, the President of the Kolbe Corp, joins host Stephanie Clergé to consider what makes for an engaged culture. The two discuss why it is critical to identify employees' strengths and align them with roles within your organization and why employee engagement starts with the hiring process.


Host: Stephanie Clergé (8363) 

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Amy Bruske (3583)

What she does: Amy is the President of Kolbe Corp. 

Company: Kolbe Corp 

Noteworthy: Amy is one of the company's three Senior Master Consultants. She is also in demand for executive coaching and team building by a wide range of businesses worldwide. 

Where to find Amy: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️ To build an engaged culture, you must first identify your employees' strengths. As a business leader, you may have people with similar skills and experience, but that doesn’t mean that they function in the same way. Therefore, it is important to know and value your employees’ unique talents and strengths if you want to engage them. ''You have to start thinking about people's strengths. People loving their jobs means that they've got to be in the zone every day. So, I'm looking at individual strengths and how we can capitalize on those.'' 

🎙️ Identifying employees' strengths helps you create productive teams. Just because someone can complete certain tasks, it doesn't mean that it's something they want to dedicate their career to. Identifying their strengths helps you put the right people in the proper position and pair them with employees with whom they can collaborate successfully. "Optimizing strengths is about strategically collaborating and combining them. Just a little bit of information makes a huge difference in identifying where the team will get stuck. Why do meetings go on too long? Why are we missing goals? It's not just because people don't have the time or don't care. Oftentimes, we've got the wrong people collaborating and working together." 

🎙️ Alignment between strengths and job descriptions prevents burnout. People who are "in the zone daily," as Amy describes it, are more likely to stay with an employer for an extended period, work on a shared goal with enjoyment, and experience success in their professional life. Otherwise, they risk facing lots of stress. "All of our research shows that if someone is working against what is natural for them, it increases stress levels. And if left unmanaged, that's when someone's going to burn out — that's when they're going to quit your organization. They don't always know why the stress is there, but the more aligned people are to the role and what their needs are, we find that those are the most engaged employees." 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Just like a strong team needs a wide variety of skills and viewpoints to thrive, successful organizations need a group with diverse instincts and problem-solving approaches in order to overcome roadblocks and reach their full potential. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host David Kolbe welcomes Shelley Moore. Shelley is the Founder and President of Insight Strategic Concepts, and a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant for 24 years. The two discuss why it’s essential for executives to identify each employee's MO early on and how they can fully optimize the strengths of their team members to take their business to the next level.  


Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

• Name: Shelley Moore (9571)
• What she does: Shelley is the Founder and President of Insight Strategic Concepts. 
• Company: Insight Strategic Concepts 
• Noteworthy: Shelley has been a Kolbe certified consultant since 1998.  She is the 2020 Kolbe Professional Award winner.
• Where to find Shelley: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️ Kolbe helps us understand that different approaches to doing things strengthen a business. Companies comprise members with different talents and skills. However, while executives know they need to hire people with different areas of expertise, it's often challenging for them to understand that even people in the same departments approach the same tasks differently. But once they acknowledge that — and Kolbe plays a significant role in this — they can take their business to the next level. ''The collaborative aspect of everybody working together with different modes of operation and knowing how to do that started to take hold. And there became less of an attitude about it and more of an appreciation of how energy works and how you get things done.'' 

🎙️ Transparency is critical in business. Shelley has been a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant for almost 25 years. Her job is to help companies upgrade their business by understanding and embracing everyone's talents and strengths. To do that, she generally connects with each member separately. ''It's one of those things where connecting with people individually, hearing what their challenges and struggles are, and oftentimes, the misinterpretations they have about themselves or other people and their intentions — which can be explained by talking about the three parts of the mind. So when people bring up their issues and their challenges, you're able to show them how that's an attitudinal thing, or you have differences in how you're operating, and you're turning [it] into something that it's not." 

🎙️ Kolbe helps us work on the personal aspects of life. The results of taking a Kolbe assessment are mind-blowing for many. They want not just their coworkers, but also their family members and friends to take it, as it can change the way they approach every connection in their life, whether business or personal. 

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

It helps to examine a candidate's resume (education and experience) and evaluate their personality to ensure that the company's values match the candidate's values. But there's a third piece, a dimension often overlooked but as vital as the previous two: how a candidate naturally does things, approaches tasks, analyzes, and completes assignments — the conative part of the mind. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Amy Bruske, the President of Kolbe Corp, joins our host Eric Herrera to discuss the role Kolbe plays in successful recruitment, hiring strategies, and onboarding, and how to successfully implement the hiring cheat code to reduce the many costs of turnover. 


Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Amy Bruske (3583)

What she does: Amy is the President of Kolbe Corp. 

Company: Kolbe Corp 

Noteworthy: Amy is one of the company's three Senior Master Consultants. She is also in demand for executive coaching and team building for a wide range of businesses worldwide. 

Where to find Amy: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️ Avoid building a team of like-minded individuals. As our relationships revolve around common interests, we focus on surrounding ourselves with people who have the same values, habits, and behaviors. The business world is no different. ''Leaders clone themselves in hiring all the time. And, as you said, sometimes you need someone who's the complete opposite of who you are. [...] Likability can't be the only piece just because you're attracted to the way they get things done, or they're just like you. But we human beings are attracted to certain kinds of behavior and the way people do things, and that might lead you astray.'' 

🎙️ When hiring, examine a candidate's education and experience, pay attention to their personality, and familiarize yourself with their unique talents/capabilities (their natural way of doing things). ''We first screen for skills. We look at the resume. We do a phone screen. We ask some questions and see if they are going to be able to do the job. Then we do this Kolbe piece — how they most naturally solve problems. We get a pool of candidates, and then we interview them. And that's when we screen for cultural fit, values fit, personality type — all of those things that go in that affective part of the mind. That's the best way to screen for all three parts of the mind because Kolbe is one piece of the puzzle. It's fundamental because it's the most predictive of long-term success in a role, but you want to take this three-parts-of-the-mind approach where you're doing all three.'' 

🎙️If a candidate is not a good fit for a particular role, it doesn't mean they're not suitable for a different role in the company. For example, you may come across an individual whose education and experience blow your mind, but once they take the Kolbe Assessment, you realize they would not be such a good fit for the role. However, just because someone wouldn't succeed in that position doesn't mean they should not be part of your team. ''One thing I want to say to all the leaders out there is that if you can focus on the end re

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

This is true in any industry, as it is true in life. But one space where there is often a particularly large need is in the legal profession, where many business owners become so nearly by accident. 

Crisp is an award-winning company that specializes in helping legal firms grow their businesses, and they use Kolbe with every client that they coach…because they value the power behind understanding strengths.  

In this episode of Kolbe – Powered by Instinct, Jessica Mogill, the Head of Coaching Strategy at Crisp and Kolbe Certified™ Consultant, joins our host David Kolbe. The two discuss when she first heard about Kolbe, how she uses it internally and externally (with employees and clients) to improve hiring practices, optimize teamwork and align people to the right roles, and how the Kolbe assessment can help businesses in any field where team dynamics matter.  


Host: David Kolbe (8273)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Jessica Mogill (8733)

What she does: Jessica is the Head of Coaching Strategy at Crisp, an award-winning law firm growth company. 

Company: Crisp 

Noteworthy: Jessica is a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant. Prior to joining Crisp, Jessica worked as a trainer at a company, and her role required her to be certified by Kolbe. That's the first time she came across Kolbe.  

Where to find Jessica: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️Kolbe helps you hire the right people and, if necessary, move your existing employees to more appropriate positions. Crisp uses Kolbe to make the right employment moves and bring the top talent into the company. However, they also use it to determine their existing employees' strengths to help them reach their full potential and contribute to the company's growth. ''It's helped us to not disqualify candidates ever. It is actually to get them interviewed. And, I would say, a quarter of our company has interviewed for one position, and we've put them in a different position because we have had them take the Kolbe assessment.'' 

🎙️We ask our clients to take the Kolbe assessment. Crisp is a consulting company with a mission to help clients grow professionally and personally. Therefore, they approach potential collaborations the same way they approach new hires. ''Part of our onboarding for every single coaching client that we bring on is that they must take the Kolbe assessment. And we take that very seriously in terms of matching them up with which Crisp team members they're going to work with. We want to make sure that there's going to be as good of a communication as possible. And part of their package is for us to go out and do a Kolbe onsite training with their team. And we recommend that we do it sooner rather than later because it is so enlightening and it changes so much.'' 

🎙️Kolbe helps take professional and private communication to the next level. Jessica's husband, Michael, is also her business

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

The ideal work setting involves people getting along and working towards a shared goal. But not everyone approaches tasks the same way — even people in the same roles. Many businesses succeed because their management knows that diversity is vital. You don't want to form a team of look-alikes; you want different perspectives and personalities to drive your business growth. 

 It's often challenging, especially for employees, to collaborate with people who don't use the same work methods. But just because someone approaches a task differently than you doesn’t mean their approach is wrong. It probably just means they have a different working style.  

 In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Kolbe Corp VP of Sales Eric Herrera chats with Stephanie Clergé, the VP of Training and Consulting at Kolbe Corp. The two discuss the Kolbe Comparisons: A to A™ report and how it helps organizations understand their workforce and coworkers understand each other. This allows them to establish and compare each other's strengths and make the most out of them.  

Eric and Stephanie use real-life examples to illustrate this. They compare their coworkers' Kolbe A™ indexes and explain why these individuals are in their particular role, what the result says about their strengths, and how they all — despite being more or less different — work with each other successfully.   


Host: Eric Herrera (5392)

Guest-at-a-Glance 

Name: Stephanie Clergé (8363)

What she does: Stephanie is the VP of Training and Consulting at Kolbe Corp. 

Company: Kolbe Corp 

Noteworthy: Stephanie works with Kolbe Certified™ Consultants — individuals who are trained to work with Kolbe solutions. ''What I love doing and get a chance to do every day is training for some of our clients. My goal is to make sure that folks using Kolbe have the information they need to do it well and apply it to whatever they care about the most.''  

Where to find Stephanie: LinkedIn 

Podcast Insights 

🎙️  Kolbe Comparisons: A to A™ reports help identify potential conflict. The purpose of running a comparison report is to help us understand our and other people's strengths. It is particularly beneficial in the workplace, where people with different approaches to working have to collaborate. Therefore, the Comparisons: A to A report helps avoid conflict in a healthy and meaningful way and drives productivity in the office. ''A lot of times, people will try to solve these conflicts they have at work by doing some of the traditional stuff. But this isn't about not liking each other. It's just about two different ways of taking action.'' 

🎙️ Major differences ask for a different approach. Yes, some people can collaborate and bring good results even if they are different in every sense. But, unfortunately, sometimes that's not the case. ''Maybe these two shouldn't be working collaboratively. Maybe they need to work independently more often so that they don't drive each other completely crazy because there'

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.

Every person on this planet is unique and capable of achieving incredible things.

So she developed a theory. And then, she proved it. 

Kathy is an acclaimed theorist, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and educator. She's also the creator of the Kolbe A™ Index, the only valid and reliable assessment tool for measuring an individual's method of operation (MO) within the conative faculty of the brain.

In the first episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, Kathy Kolbe and host Amy Bruske discuss the Kolbe A™ Index, its Action Modes, the benefits such an assessment brings to
businesses and schools, and how it can improve our personal and professional lives.

Take the Kolbe A Index at Kolbe.com


Host: Amy Bruske (3583)

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Kathy Kolbe (2684)

💡 What she does: Kathy is the Founder of Kolbe Corp and CEO of Dynamynd Inc.

💡 Company: Dynamynd Inc

💡 Noteworthy: Kathy Kolbe is an acclaimed theorist, bestselling author, entrepreneur, educator, organizational strategist, consultant, and speaker. Her groundbreaking assessments and performance strategies are used worldwide by businesses, schools, families, and individuals. This includes the Kolbe A™ Index, the only valid and reliable assessment tool for measuring an individual's method of operation (MO) within the conative part of the mind.

💡 Where to find Kathy: LinkedIn and Twitter

Key Insights

⚡ Managers should avoid inertia. As Kathy explains, the mistake most managers or leaders make is trying to hire people who naturally act as they do. Although it may be the winning formula for some teams – like sales - it will not be effective for teams comprised of individuals who have to collaborate to bring desired results. ''Avoid the inertia of being stopped in your tracks by having too many people who are alike. That's the biggest mistake hiring managers and line managers make. A line manager will say, 'Bring in more people like Joe.' No, not conatively. It may be in terms of enthusiasm and affect, maybe in intelligence and skill. Conatively, all managers should be looking for synergy.'' 

⚡ Allow employees to do the job their way. Every role within an organization requires a specific set of skills and experience. Job duties focus on the employer's expectations, but every company should also nurture a culture of employee self-expression and the ability for jobholders to approach assignments their natural way. ''The role of management always has to be, 'Do it your way.'  As long as you have the right strengths that are necessary, conatively, do it the way that works for you.''

⚡ Aim for equality. The Kolbe A™ Index is not only for adults. A version of it can also be used in schools to help children determine their strengths. The Student Aptitude Quiz has proven highly beneficial for teenagers (high school kids). Once they take the quiz, they receive tangible proof showing

***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe A™ Index or Kolbe Y™ Index for the youth in your life. Many successful companies work directly with a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant — find one in your area.