Ask a leader what keeps them up at night, and odds are, they’ll say the same thing: people. In fact, 82% of leaders report that managing people is the most stressful part of the job.
And where does that stress show up first? Right at the top.
So how do you make sure your leadership team isn’t just surviving—but performing at their highest, most natural level?
It starts with giving each person the freedom to be themselves. Then, bring in an expert to help align those strengths with how the team operates day to day.
One such expert is CJ DuBe’. (Yes, she literally wrote the book on people.) She recently joined Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske (who literally co-wrote the book on sustainable success) on the Powered by Instinct podcast. Together, they shared what every leadership team needs to thrive.
If you want lasting performance, you have to start by understanding each other—instinctively.
“I would encourage everyone, when you’re thinking about your leadership team,” CJ shared, “make sure that you do spend time getting to know each other. What is it that helps you to know each other from a personality standpoint, from a feeling standpoint?”
And, most importantly: how does each person take action?
When teams understand the full picture—cognitive, affective, and conative—it helps them avoid misfires and high-cost turnover.
“It costs a lot of money to turn over key leaders on a regular basis,” CJ pointed out. “So the better you are with hiring, and then spending time with each other, the better you’ll be together.”
This reflects the first of Kolbe’s Three C’s Framework: Clarity. Without it, decisions feel harder and relationships feel strained. With it, collaboration flows more naturally.
Strong leaders don’t just share what’s on their minds. They’re willing to be real.
“Most people say things honestly,” CJ points out. “But are you willing to be vulnerable?”
Vulnerability doesn’t mean falling apart—it means being open enough to say what you need and ask for what will help. That kind of communication unlocks trust.
“All of the good research around emotional intelligence shows that teams that [have] a level of trust, where you can be who you are, is a huge foundational,” CJ added. “There’s actually proof and research behind that’s what you need to have a successful team. And that is why Kolbe is one of our trust builders.”
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s authenticity. Do More, More Naturally calls this Commitment: a willingness to invest energy where it matters most, starting with how we show up to others.
CJ often says: “A leadership team is only as good as their middle management.”
You can’t just fill in skill gaps—you have to build around instinctive strengths.
“You need the people who are going to execute on all of your ideas and everything that, as a leadership team, you’re deciding,” she explained. “So you need to balance your department team with Kolbe.”
Too often, teams lean heavily toward one mode of problem-solving or decision-making, creating blind spots. Kolbe helps you identify conative gaps and overlaps—so each team member is contributing in a way that feels sustainable, not forced.
“What does a dream team look like?” CJ asks. “A dream team is made up of lots of different people, and it’s made up of how you work differently and how you think differently. But the key is in how you work together with each other.”
That’s the final piece: Collaboration. Knowing how each person operates instinctively makes it easier to trust, delegate, and deliver—without overcomplicating the process.
Want to build a leadership team that actually works?
Start by letting people be themselves—and then put that self-awareness into action.
For more insights, listen to the full episode of Powered by Instinct featuring CJ DuBe’ and Amy Bruske, and download the first chapter of Do More, More Naturally at Kolbe.com/DoMore.
