Powered by Instinct Kolbe Corp

Why do we take assessments? What type of assessments should people and businesses use? How can you use assessments to effectively grow your business? 
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.” 


Chapters 
09:34 
The Importance of Using Multiple Assessments 
24:08 
Increasing Time in Unique Ability Activities 
39:33 
Focusing on Teamwork and Collaboration for Success 

What’s the number one thing keeping entrepreneurs up at night? People problems.  
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 Leadership
21:43  The EOS People Book and the Importance of Intentional Culture
38:36  The EOS People Book Launch and Resources
 

Everyone has natural ways in which they take action. These are measured in four areas — Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor — called Kolbe Action Modes®.  
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 
 
 

Nobody is asked to make more decisions, more difficult decisions, or more important decisions than executives. So anything that gives leaders an upper hand in making those decisions more efficiently and effectively is pure gold.  Enter our guests: Susan Spritz Myers and Whitney Capps. Susan and Whitney are both incredible leadership coaches who know how to help executives achieve amazing results and build remarkable teams.  In this episode, they discuss the impact of knowing your MO (Modus Operandi) and how it can shape your personal and professional life. They share specific case studies of how they used Kolbe to help clients solve major problems through understanding their strengths and working together more effectively. They also discuss the importance of building teams with diverse strengths and using a whole person approach to company culture. If you’re a leader (or you work with them), listening to this episode will lead to great things and high-performing teams! 

Host: Eric Herrera (5392)
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 Supporting Individuals in Teams 
22:25 Looking at the Whole Person 
26:21 Shifting Roles and Responsibilities 
29:40 Opportunities with Kolbe 
32:58 Building High Performing Teams 
37:40 Conclusion and Contact Information 

How do you ensure you’re equipped to grow as a business leader? As a family member? As a trusted member of your community? And how can you help others do the same? 
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 Instinctive Strengths 
14:34 Rollout of Kolbe in the Company 
19:42 Using Kolbe to Make a Difference 
26:23 Advice for Leaders in the People Part of Business 
32:02 Final Thoughts and Encouragement 
 

When Kari Gillenwater first integrated Kolbe into her practice, she had no idea the level of impact it would have for her clients. In this episode, Kari shares how discovering her Kolbe strengths has improved both her life and her business. She explains how she uses Kolbe to help top business owners build teams and empower their employees. She also offers advice for coaches and consultants looking to incorporate Kolbe into their practice at the highest levels.  
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