Great leaders know that in order to win it takes constant preparation. They know there is no single strategy they can execute that will make the team a consistent winner. They know and understand the need for ongoing preparation. They are constantly exploring new strategies, concepts and ideas.

Winning football requires preparation. Most great coaches will tell you the game isn’t won on game day. It’s won during the week on practice days. It’s the preparation that makes the biggest difference.

It’s a given that most people want to be part of a winning team. Winners are drawn to those organizations that are willing to pay the price with preparation. I believe there are three types of people:

1. Those who want to get better and embrace preparation.
2. Those who don’t care if they get better and will do everything they can to avoid preparation.
3. Those who are just confused and looking for someone to show them the way.

Preparation breeds confidence. Confidence creates a can-do spirit. A can-do spirit creates momentum. Momentum keeps the ball rolling. Winning is constant preparation. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Archie Manning operates a quarterback passing camp, was a pretty good quarterback in the NFL in his day and has two sons currently playing the same position for the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.

Archie Manning recently stated, “The best advice I try to give to a young quarterback is, you need to know what you are doing. You need to know what you’re doing because if you know where to go with the football, you can get rid of it, and throw it, and you won’t get hit.”

Holy crap! Isn’t that the way we need to think about a used car manager? I’m going to re-do his statement based on the car business:

“The best advice I can give a used car manager (or dealer) is, you need to know what you are doing. You need to know what you’re doing because if you know where to go with the car, you can get rid of it, and unload it at retail or wholesale, and you won’t take a hit.”

Shazam! Hallelujah! Holy Toledo! Kaboom!

And therein lies the problem. Far too many managers don’t know what to do or they don’t do it soon enough. They hold the ball too long. Holding the ball too long and not knowing where to go creates gigantic losses and headaches.

The great quarterbacks recognize the defense immediately and change the play at the line of scrimmage in order to give them the best chance for success.

The problem in the car business is far too often the used car manager doesn’t recognize the problem until it’s too late and by the time they do they have taken a major hit.

You need to know what you’re doing. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

One of the many challenges facing today’s leaders is to determine what the organization stands for and how to separate themselves from the competition.

What is your defining proposition? Don’t take this the wrong way, but anyone can become a new car dealer and start selling cars. Same old blah, blah, blah. (I didn’t say it was easy.)

Beside price, what do you stand for? Great leaders are able to separate themselves from the competition.

The attached is from Virgin Air. They are different. Very different. Virgin Air’s video for their safety announcements sets them apart from the rest.

Virgin Air is somewhat like Southwest was at one time. What I find interesting about Southwest is they have moved more towards being like all the others as opposed to all the others becoming more like Southwest Air. They have lost their humorous niche.

You may have read or heard the story about the uniqueness of Gunter VW in Cocoanut Creek FL. In 2012 they sold over 4,000 new VWs. They did it by being different. 

It’s not sufficient to say you are known for great service. Everyone has great service. Having great service makes you average. Having great service is expected. You’re not exceeding anyone’s expectations by having great service.

Having free coffee and donuts makes you average. I get a chuckle every time I read a story in Automotive News about someone who now has a café and free whatever.

In the mid 80s we had a deli, a hair cuttery, a shoeshine man, and a tailor shop. Our employee lounge was decorated with characters from Warner Brothers like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck and others. And, we were famous for the Chicken Man. (Now that’s a story for another time.)

At least we were different. How different are you? Are you just another car dealership? Do you even dare to be different? Being different is not easy and requires taking risks. Not being different is boring, risk free and makes you known for nothing. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

One of my favorite statements when people come to me seeking guidance on making specific decisions is, “I trust your good judgment.”

Granted they will sometimes make decisions I might not agree with, and that’s the best part. Why? Because it gives me a chance to coach them in a positive way.

I don’t have to tell them they were wrong. I simply ask them if they considered coming to a different conclusion by doing whatever? I might say next time it might be better to blah, blah, blah.

Only in a rare set of circumstances would I bust them over a decision they have made.

If you want to build a powerful team of leaders look for opportunities to say, “I trust your good judgment.” That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

In a recent 60 Minutes interview Nick Saban, head football coach at the University of Alabama, was talking about what makes him and the University of Alabama so successful.

There are a lot of take-aways in the attached 60 Minutes interview. My favorite is his point that one of the reasons for not being able to create effective teamwork is that “High achievers don’t like mediocre people and mediocre people don’t like high achievers.”

Mediocre people don’t want to see others succeed as it makes them look even worse than they are and high achievers have no use for the mediocre ones and want nothing to do with them.

The achievers view the non-achievers as losers just hanging around absorbing perfectly good oxygen they don’t deserve. They see them making little or no effort. They don’t really want to help them and want them to go away.

Often, leadership has excuses as to why they keep non-achievers around and in the end the non-achievers either destroy the organization and/or run off the performers who finally reach a point of, “I don’t need to deal with this.”

Just in case you don’t want to take time to watch the video here are some of the key points:

1. The team has a chant: “Get Your Mind Right.” (Does your team have their mind right?)

2. As the leader, have you created a standard for your organization?

3. Are you watching the scoreboard more than you are watching the processes? Keeping the focus on your processes and making sure they don’t evaporate keeps you on the winning track.

4. If you and your team focus on doing your jobs at the highest level, the wins will follow.

5. Great leaders are coaching all the time and are determined to get it right.

6. Chasing Perfection makes you a winner even if you never catch it.

7.The number one thing is to be on time. Being on time shows you care.

8. Do your job on every play. Every down. Every deal. Every situation.

By the way, Nick Saban originally thought he wanted to run a car dealership when he graduated from Kent State. He would have made an awesome car dealer. That’s all I’m gonna say,Tommy Gibbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEp47-kX6jg