1. Guard Against The “Peter Principle”-Don’t promote people based strictly on how they have performed in their current role. Promote them to their ability to perform in their new role. People are often promoted to their level of incompetence.

2. Guard The Processes-The team with the best and most consistent processes wins the most often.

3. Guard The Team-It really is about the team. You need team players. If they aren’t on the same team you cannot afford to keep them on the team. They will destroy morale and production.

4. Guard The Customers-When you protect your customers, you build your business and set the bar for the team to do the same. The team is watching and emulating how you deal with customer issues.

5. Guard The Vendors-You must demand the same high quality and standards from your vendors as you demand from your team. Don’t lower your standards because you’re saving a few bucks.

6. Guard The Culture-There’s nothing more important that you can do than guard your culture. You cannot afford to hire people who aren’t of the same mindset. If you make that mistake you will wake up one day and there is no culture.

7. Guard Against Legacy Thinking-Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Stop looking back. Look forward.

8. Guard Against Making The Same Mistakes-Mistakes are a part of growing, but what you cannot allow is the same mistakes happening over and over again.

9. Guard The Training-You cannot train too much. It’s not “redundant training” until the team is perfect. The team isn’t perfect.

10. Guard The Passion-Don’t let anyone steal or drain your passion and don’t be afraid to show your passion for all the above.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

I have a lot of experience in parking my car in garage parking lots. I have that experience every week when I park my car in the parking garage at the Tampa International Airport.

What I find so interesting is that people always want to park on the lower floors. So much in fact, that I will often observe people driving around the portable signs that say “This Level Full” in order to find a parking space on a lower floor.

If those looking for parking on the lower floors are lucky enough to find a space, the odds are pretty good they still have a long walk to the elevator.

I always go to the top floor. Always. The reason I go to the top floor is there’s always room to park right in front of the elevator.

Hanging out on the lower floors is pretty much what the masses end up doing in life. For whatever reason, they don’t realize there’s a lot of room at the top.

When it comes to leadership, there’s always room at the top. Far too many people never take the challenge of going to the top.

Welcome to the top floor. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Great leaders are champions of many things. Here’s 8 for you to consider:

1. Be a Champion of Responding-Do it now. Respond to text messages, emails and phone calls immediately. You should respond just as you would expect others to do if you were on the other side.

2. Be a Champion of Empathy-Can you recognize the emotions of others? Are you picking them up or pushing them down?

3. Be a Champion of Self-Evaluation-When was the last time you asked someone who you could trust to tell you the truth about what you could improve on?

4. Be a Champion of Discipline-Are you walking the walk or just talking the talk?

5. Be a Champion of Moving The Strategy Bar-Are you constantly seeking to tweak and kick up the strategy bar? Or, are you locked into thinking you’ve got it right?

6. Be a Champion of Enthusiasm-Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it. Here’s a simple test. How many people have you high-fived today?

7. Be a Champion of Your Culture-Culture is a living, breathing thing. Are you feeding and watering it every day?

8. Be a Champion of Defeating Legacy Thinking-Are you holding “legacy thinking” high on a pedestal or kicking it out the front door? Just because you’ve always done it that way, doesn’t mean you can continue to do so. You can either lead, follow or get the heck out of the way.

What are you a Champion of? That’s all I’m gonna ask, Tommy Gibbs

What I’m actually asking is, it time you took your staff on a retreat? Yep, I know it’s time consuming and expensive, but I can tell you it’s well worth it.

Want to get some better ideas on how to run your business? Hold a retreat

Want to know what’s really going on in your store? Hold a retreat

Want to kick off the New Year with a bang? Hold a retreat

Want to up your vision of greatness? Hold a retreat

Want to get “buy in” from the team? Hold a retreat

Want to find out who’s in and who’s out? Hold a retreat

Want to know if you’re going in the right direction? Hold a retreat

Want to develop a solid culture? Hold a retreat

Many years ago when our organization was trying to find its way I held a retreat at remote location. No phones, no distractions. Team members from all departments participated.

For 2 days we kicked around our culture, our values, our processes and strategies. Of all the things I’ve ever done in the automobile business, I believe it’s the most brilliant thing.

Is it time for you to hold a retreat? That’s all I’m gonna ask.
Tommy Gibbs

Reading is really important to me. Mostly I read to help me with my business. What I find so interesting is that more often than not, when I read something, it’s something I already know to be true.

I don’t mean that as a “know it all,” but after you’ve been in business for as long as I have, and since I’m a student of the game, I’ve either seen it all, heard it all or done it all. That’s just a fact of life.

But, what I also know to be true is that we have to be reminded from time to time about the many things we know to be solid, fundamental business principles.

I’m re-reading a book right now titled, “It’s Okay To Be The Boss,” by Bruce Tulgan. If you’ve not read it, you should. The premise of the book is pretty much what the title says. It’s really ok to be the boss, especially if you know how to manage yourself.

One of the key points the book makes is that if you walk into a restaurant and get poor service then you should not be mad at the person performing the service. You should be mad at the boss.

If people are performing poorly then it’s because they were the wrong hire, they haven’t been properly trained or they are not doing what they have been trained to do. In all of those cases, it’s the boss’s fault.

The boss has a responsibility to hire the right people, make sure people know how to perform their jobs and then demand that they do so. The greater responsibility of a boss is to hold people accountable to do what they are supposed to be doing. It’s foolish to try to hold someone accountable if you’ve not done your job correctly as “the boss.”

Never forget, you’re not running a democracy. You’re running a business that should generate the greatest profits possible for its investors and stockholders.

Can you be a better “boss?” That’s all I’m gonna ask, Tommy Gibbs