TES Insights

Unlocking Franchise Success with Kolbe:

Fueling Franchise Growth with Natural Edge Teams

By Karen Powell, Certified Kolbe Consultant
Talent and Strengths Advocate (FSBI)
Brian K. Miller, Business Strategist

Gallup’s research on CliftonStrengths, formerly called StrengthsFinder, shows that when people work in their natural strengths, they are more engaged, productive, and resilient. They are also six times more likely to love what they do and much less likely to burn out. Instead of trying to fix weaknesses, top-performing teams focus on what each person does best naturally—and the results speak for themselves.

In our previous article, Unlocking Franchise Success with Kolbe: Using Kolbe RightFit™ Hiring System, we discussed the importance of building unique teams. One way to visualize this might be through a popular, universally loved movie like MGM’s original, *The Wizard of Oz*. Today, let’s take a step back and look at the Oz cast as a group through the perspective of what I call a “Natural Edge Team.”

If we are using the CliftonStrengths as a guide, we’re discussing the affective side of performance—e.g., people’s motivations.
As a refresher, Kolbe breaks the mind into three parts:

• Cognitive – What you *can* do (knowledge, skills, experience)
• Conative – How you *will* do it (your instinctive way of taking action)
• Affective – What you *want* to do (motivation, values, preferences)

Let’s have some fun by breaking down the characters in the Wizard of Oz and examining how they all interact.

Note: This is just for fun to illustrate a point. Since the characters from The Wizard of Oz never actually took the Kolbe (wink wink), we imagined what their styles might be. Everyone will have their own interpretation; our goal is simply to show how different strengths can come together when people are free to be themselves.

Dorothy

Kolbe Strength: Follow Thru Initiator

Structured, steady, keeps the group focused and on task. Naturally organizes the journey and sticks to the mission.

CliftonStrengths Themes: Empathy, Responsibility, Harmony, Connectedness

She leads from the heart—compassionate, loyal, and deeply committed to the well-being of her companions.

Scarecrow

Kolbe Strength: (React) Fact Finder Initiator

Inquisitive and analytical. Enjoys questioning, exploring alternatives, and using logic to solve problems.

CliftonStrengths Themes: Intellection, Strategic, Ideation, Learner

Represents deep thinking and intellectual exploration. Often comes up with creative solutions, even when doubting himself.

Tin Man

Kolbe Strength: Follow Thru React

Prefers order, consistency, and dependability. Seeks clarity and routine.

CliftonStrengths Themes: Empathy, Belief, Consistency, Relator

Highly values relationships and emotional connections. Reliable and quietly compassionate.

Cowardly Lion

Kolbe Strength: Quick Start Initiator

Impulsive and reactive under pressure—desires to act decisively but is initially restrained by fear. Eventually develops courage.

CliftonStrengths Themes: Self-Assurance, Activator, Command, Woo

Underneath his fear lies a powerful influencer. He grows into a courageous, motivating leader.

Wizard of Oz

Kolbe Strength: Quick Start Initiator

Creative and flexible to innovation and improvising. Visionary as implementor counteract. (Envision)

CliftonStrengths Themes: Strategic, Communication, Individualization, Maximizer, Self-Assurance

Charismatic, he enables others to recognize their potential, even while concealing his own behind a curtain.

Glinda the Good Witch

**Kolbe Strength:** Implementor Initiator & Facilitator

Works through real-world tools and hands-on guidance. Appears with clear, physical demonstrations of action—like how to use the ruby slippers. Embodies practical wisdom made tangible.

**CliftonStrengths Themes:** Developer, Positivity, Individualization, Belief

Uplifts and encourages others by affirming their worth and potential. Supports growth with warmth, clarity, and visible encouragement.

Of course, this is entirely fictional. None of the characters completed the StrengthsFinder or Kolbe assessments, but with a bit of imagination, it illustrates how Natural Edge teams’ function when they are well-balanced. What unites them here isn’t just skills; it’s their common “affective” motivation: Getting Dorothy home, the Tin Man a heart, the Scarecrow a brain and the Lion courage. This mutual motivation is the reason everything falls into place. This highlights the Affective aspect of the mind. Imagine how powerful it can be when teams operate in harmony.

A well-rounded team isn’t composed of individuals who all think alike—it’s comprised of people who bring different conative strengths to the table but are aligned around a common mission. (affective) We have found this in our own organization when we have formed Natural Edge Teams to accelerate growth.

So, what does that look like in Kolbe terms?

Kolbe identifies 12 instinctive strengths across four Action Modes:

We all possess four of these strengths, across the four action modes. However we instinctively lead with one that is more dominant, while the others contribute to the blend that makes you uniquely you.  We also call that their MO, Modus operandi. This is what creates our individual, unique style of taking action.

When assembling a project team, diversity of this kind is crucial. You want members who ask insightful questions and those who can help streamline processes. When all 12 strengths across the four modes are represented, teams plan better, adapt more quickly, stay organized, and work more efficiently. That’s when collaboration flourishes—and that’s the power of building Natural Edge Teams

This has significant consequences for franchising. Whether you’re building your leadership team, supporting franchisees, or exploring new markets, a well-rounded team—one that combines Kolbe conative strengths and cognitive skills aligned with core values and beliefs—strengthens the overall system. Franchisees need various types of support at different times. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why conveying messages in different ways, such as through different modalities, helps people hear and understand them. Some learn best by hearing, others by reading, possibly in bullet points. Still, some are visual learners, and videos can be helpful for them. The more diverse your internal team is in instincts and strengths, the better prepared you’ll be to train, educate, serve, coach, and expand your network. In franchising, alignment is not just beneficial; it is essential.

Pro tip: Remember, the Kolbe RightFit™ Hiring System can help unlock all of this for you. CliftonStrengths is developed and owned by Gallup, Inc., a global analytics and advisory firm. For more information on CliftonStrengths, visit: gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. For more information on Kolbe, contact us Strengths@franchisesource.com or Kolbe.com