Steve Lear

What if students could understand how they naturally take action—before stepping into their careers? 

I recently had the privilege of working with students in Dr. Jeff Stamp’s Food and Agricultural Sales class in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota.  This experience was a collaboration rooted in a shared desire: to help students better understand how they naturally take action—and to give them a language for it.

“The gap between college and the workforce is often filled with ‘conative stress’—the exhaustion of trying to work against one’s natural grain,” Dr. Stamp noted. “Our goal in all my classes at the University of Minnesota is to develop career-ready leaders who understand their Kolbe Wisdom.”

Dr. Stamp had already introduced his students to the concept of the conative side of the mind—the part of us that drives how we act, problem-solve, and initiate. While students had been exposed to these ideas conceptually, they had not yet experienced them through the lens of their own individual data.

That’s where our work came in.

Each student was provided with the Kolbe A™ Index, which measures a person’s instinctive way of taking action. In addition, we gave each student a Kolbe A to A™ report comparing each student’s results with Dr. Stamp’s. This gave students powerful, practical insight into how they naturally interact with their professor when they are operating with full freedom to be themselves.

My role was not to teach in the classroom, but to bring these insights to life through individualized 30-minute one-on-one sessions. These conversations were designed to be student-led, reflective, and deeply personal. At the beginning of each session, I asked three simple questions:

• What questions do you want answered today?
• What would make this conversation a “two thumbs up” experience?
• Do you have a hard stop at 30 minutes?

From there, we explored how each student naturally operates—their strengths, their patterns, and what I often call their “superpowers.”

From Awareness to Transformation

For many students, this wasn’t just insightful—it was transformative. One student shared, “This is the most transformative thing in my entire four years of college.”

What made the difference was not just the assessment itself, but the language and permission it gave them.

Many students walk through life believing something is wrong with them because they don’t think, act, or perform like those around them. They may come from families, classrooms, or environments where their natural instincts aren’t reflected or affirmed. Understanding the three parts of the mind—cognitive (thinking), affective (feeling), and conative (doing)—creates space for discernment. It allows students to separate what they’ve learned from who they naturally are.

And when that happens, something powerful shifts. They stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” and start asking, “How am I wired—and how can I use that well?”

Creating a Common Language

This work builds on years of applying Kolbe across students, teams, and organizations to help individuals understand how they naturally take action.

Students were able to better understand themselves and how they interact with others—especially Dr. Stamp. The Kolbe A-to-A comparison gave them insight into potential alignment, friction points, and communication styles.

We even joked that their perception of Dr. Stamp might improve once they understood how he naturally operates—and in many cases, it did.

This language doesn’t just improve academic experiences—it equips students for teamwork, leadership, and professional environments where understanding how people take action is critical.

Building on Prior Experience

While I have worked extensively with high school students—including multiple years working with entire freshman classes of over 150 students in Chandler, Arizona—this was the first time I engaged with college students in a structured, course-integrated format.

I have previously worked with college students in more informal settings (through families, businesses, or individual coaching), but this experience demonstrated what is possible when this work is embedded intentionally within higher education. It affirmed something I deeply believe:

Students don’t just need knowledge—they need self-understanding if they’re going to lead, contribute, and thrive.

A Personal Reflection

This experience impacted me just as much as it did the students.

There were moments of emotion, reflection, and even tears—not from sadness, but from recognition. Watching students begin to see themselves clearly, often for the first time, was incredibly powerful.

After each session, I found myself recording quick reflection videos because I didn’t want to lose the moment. Each student carried their own story, their own doubts, and their own potential.

And what they needed most wasn’t to be changed—it was to be seen.

To be told, with both truth and real-world examples: “You are not broken. You are uniquely designed—and that design has value.”

Why This Work Matters

For many, it was the first time they realized they could stop apologizing for how they naturally operated—and start using it with intention. If there is one takeaway from this experience, it is this:

There is a deep and growing need—at every age—for people to understand how they are naturally wired.

When we recognize our own strengths, we gain confidence.

When we recognize others’ strengths, we gain compassion.

And instead of conversations becoming combative, they become collaborative. That shift changes teams, classrooms, families, and organizations.

It certainly changed these students.

And it has forever changed me—and reinforced how much the world needs this work.

We spend years teaching people what to think, but very little time helping them understand how they naturally take action.

This work is helping change that—one student, one conversation at a time.

Dr. Stamp agrees. “When a student knows their instinctive way of doing things, they stop trying to be ‘everything’ and start being exactly what the team needs. That is the cornerstone of modern leadership.”

Wanina Rae M. Debelo
Alignment Activator and creator of The Noble Method™
Founder, Noble Methods, LLC
📩 waninarae@noblemethods.com| 📞 832.628.6462 | 🌎 noblemethods.com
“Unlocking JOY rooted in clarity, trust, and impact.”