From the book, “It’s Your Ship”, by Captain Michael Abrashoff. “Captains need to see the ship from the crew’s perspective. They need to make it easy and rewarding for crew members to express themselves and their ideas, and they need to figure out how and when to delegate responsibility.”

Well, well ain’t that a mouthful? The key word that’s often missing when it comes to leadership skills is empathy. Far too often those in leadership positions only see things from their point of view. If only they could flip themselves over to the other side once in a while.

Your ability to connect to the team, the entire team, is what will separate you from being an anointed leader to being a real leader.

You often hear in sports that a coach is a “player’s coach.” That doesn’t mean he’s easy. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t exercise discipline. It means he understands each and every member of the team. He sees the value they all bring to the table. Great leaders have the ability to nurture the skills of all those they have been blessed to have the opportunity to lead.

It’s your ship to steer, but it ain’t really your ship, that’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

If you’re like me you love life and the challenges it brings to the table each and every day. I always look forward to getting up in the morning and “getting after it.”

As a dealer for 20 plus years, I loved coming into the store every day and being around all the people and the energy that came with that.

I always got there really early and stayed late. To me, seeing the people and the place coming to life in the morning was like a special sunrise.

Since I’ve been in the speaking, training and coaching business I primarily work alone. It can be challenging at times since I only have myself to rely on. But actually I like the idea of “staying after myself.”

It doesn’t matter if you work alone or work with 500 people you still have to “stay after yourself.” It’s a fun challenge and something you can actually get better at.

“Staying after yourself” requires planning and discipline. If my father said it once to me he’s said it a thousand times, “Plan your work and work your plan.”

Some key elements to “staying after yourself” include reading, writing, listening and forcing yourself to attend Twenty Group meetings, conventions and workshops. Those things open the mind and help you see what the possibilities might be.

I’ve become a firm believer that writing is a bigger component to success than one might think. I don’t mean that you have to be an award winning author; writing your thoughts down each day helps to open your brain up to where you’ve been and where you can go.

Writing helps you “stay after yourself.” It will help you self-evaluate your actions, your behavior and how well you are accomplishing those “continuous goals” you should be writing down.

Goal setting is critical to “staying after yourself.” Goal setting is important, but it’s even more important to understand that a goal is simply a temporary target and not the end. You have to constantly evaluate, tweak and adjust your goals so you are always moving forward.

A big part of staying after yourself is to “stay after others.” I don’t mean that in a micro-managing sense, but as a way of encouraging others.

The more you encourage others the more you are encouraging yourself. There is nothing you can do that is more important than helping others along the way.

It’s sometimes hard to understand the impact we can have on others with a kind word of encouragement and a pat on the back. It’s so very powerful!

My encouragement for you today is for you to remember to take some time to “stay after yourself.” That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

My good friend John Malishenko, Director of Operations for the Germain Group recently sent out an email that included the following sentence:

“Today again is a day that must be “created” if it’s going to be a productive one and with only four days remaining, everyone is important.”

Obviously John was speaking to a specific day, in a specific week in a specific month. I would challenge you that John’s quote should be in the forefront of your thinking each and every day.

Ask yourself what are you creating? Are you making things happen or are you sitting around waiting for something to happen.

This thought processes applies regardless of your position in the dealership. It’s as appropriate for the dealer as it is for a sales manager. You have the talent and you have the knowledge or you wouldn’t be where you are today.

What better time to create something than right now? Go do it. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

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