You’re having the time of your life and you don’t even know it. A conversation came up the other day about life, business, where we’ve been and where we’re going. With these being the dog days of summer, it seems like a good time for such a conversation. 

Speaking of summer, have you noticed how fast it’s flying by. Have you noticed how fast life is flying by? The older we get the faster it seems to go.

I’m sure you have days where it seems nothing is easy. On any given day you may think you and your team are never going to figure it out. Try thinking back 5 years, 10 years, 15 years…do you remember how tough it was? The reality is that those were some of the best days of your life. Sure some were hard, but jeez what a great journey.

I, like you, can remember the struggles, but given the choice (and if I had the time and energy) I would do it all again. I really would. It was the best time of my life. It was the time of your life. Today is the time of my life and today is the time of your life. Savor it, dwell in it, roll in it, love it. It’s all good.

Hope you’re enjoying the dog days of summer. Long live the dog days of summer, that’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Great leaders know one of their most important contributions, even before selecting talented players is to pick the right players. Picking the right players doesn’t mean necessarily picking the most talented. It means picking nice people, coachable people who are passionate about what they are doing.

How many times in your career have you observed really talented people fall on their face? You’ve seen it in sports, business and the movie industry. Often in the car business they can sell the heck out of cars, but, but, but…their ego, their lack of discipline or some flaw causes them to crash and burn.

A leader’s job is to slow the process down. Make sure the entire organization understand the culture, the mission and what type of team members have the best chance to succeed within the organization.

When you pick the right team members…they succeed…the organization succeeds, which creates powerful momentum. Momentum becomes a driving force, a motivating force to push on, do it again and again creating an unbeatable formula for success. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

One of the great disconnects among leaders is the mindset that they don’t need to be responsive to others-unless it’s something they deem urgent in their own minds.

This lack of responsiveness minimizes the expectations and intentions of the person who asked for a response. The leader’s response is important to them, otherwise they wouldn’t have asked for it in the first place.

As a leader, if you receive an email, phone call, letter or text message, it should be handled in the most expeditious manner possible. There’s a difference between just missing something and intentionally not reacting to it.

The problem goes even deeper when you tell someone you are going to do something and you don’t. Be a person of action. Be a person of doing. Be a person of doing it now.

We get more respect and trust when we do what we say we are going to do, when we say we are going to do it. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

I know a little bit about NASCAR racing, not a lot, but a little bit. Believe it or not I’ve raced late model stock cars and modified cars. Ain’t no rush like it.

One of the things you may or may not know about racing is that the air pressure in the tires is set to a lower air pressure at the beginning of the race because as the race gets going and the tires heat up it causes the size of the tires to expand.

The left side tires and the right side tires are set at different tire pressures so that the inside tires (the left side) are smaller than the right side tires which helps the car turn through the corners. If you’re not familiar with this concept take a typical water glass and turn it on its side. Push the larger end of the glass counter clockwise and notice how the glass will turn in a circle. The inside of the glass is smaller thus it turns.

You may have noticed that when a caution flag comes out during a race you will see the drivers weaving back and forth before the green flag comes out. They do this for two reasons: 1. to get debris off the tires and 2. even more important is to get as much heat and expansion in the tires as possible. So, the moral to the story is you have to keep the heat in the tires if you wanna go fast.

That’s the same deal for leaders. Leaders know they have to keep the heat on if they wanna go fast. Keeping the heat on doesn’t mean beating people up. Just as in racing if you beat people up, bang on the other guy’s car you are probably not going to win the race…even if you win, you’ve caused problems for yourself down the road.

Same deal for you…putting the heat on in the wrong way, beating and banging on people may get you a win once in a while, but you will lose a lot more than you win.

When done correctly and in the right situation, keeping the heat on is a good thing. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Show Up On Time-Yep, it’s that easy, just show up on time. Showing up on time is more than just showing up for work on time or showing up for a meeting on time. It’s also about being timely in your actions and activities.

Counted On-Yep, can I count on you? That’s the question everyone around you is asking about you. They don’t come right out and actually ask you that, but it’s at the forefront of their mind. You have to be counted on. Are you real? Are you who you say you are and do you do what you say you’re going to do?

Paying Attention-It’s easy, just pay attention to what’s going on around you. Take the blinders off. Paying attention doesn’t just mean listening to the big boss, it means listening and paying attention to all those around you. It means an eye for the details. It’s as simple as picking a piece of paper up off the floor, spotting an empty space on the front row, or noticing the down mood that David the lot attendant may be having today.

I’m on time, you can count on me and I’m always paying attention. That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs

Recently I flew into Oklahoma City and couldn’t help but notice the awesome statue of Will Rogers sitting up on his horse with lasso in hand. I often see quotes by him and I’m always amazed at his wit and smarts that to this day remain true. He died in 1935 at the young age of 55 in a plane crash in Alaska. The more I read his material the more brilliant I think he is. Here’s a typical Will Rogers quote:

“If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.”

Leaders know what they are doing because they are students of the game. They have become information junkies always seeking a better way because they know they never really get it totally figured out.

Leaders love what they do because they are passionate about what they do. It’s important to understand that the love and passion they have for what they do today was not always the case. It is not unusual that what they currently do with such passion was not their first love. Somewhere along the way something or someone helped ignite the love for what they do today.

Leaders believe in what they do because they know what they are doing and they love what they do. They seek to serve those around them through stewardship of their knowledge and passion for those things they believe in. What could be more powerful than sharing knowledge, love and beliefs?

And that ladies and gentlemen is what leading is all about. That’s all I’m gonna say.

“A mediocre person tells. A good person explains. A superior person demonstrates. A great person inspires others to see for themselves.” Harvey Mackay

1. Challenge them with reasonable objectives. Not too easy, not too hard. The key is they have to be achievable. Achieved success will lead to even greater achievements. Success breeds success. It’s great to be an optimist. It’s even greater to be a “realistic optimist.” Tossing out “pie in the sky” numbers doesn’t challenge people; it defeats them and they eventually just ignore them.

2. Show encouragement by leading from the front and pushing from the rear. Cheer and cheer some more. There’s nothing better than a pat on the back or a double high five to get ’em going and keep ’em going. Sometimes you have to show them “how” and sometimes you coach them “how.”

3. Watch what you say and how you say it. Saying the right things, in the right way, at the right time can do wonders. Choose your words carefully. Remember the whole world is watching and listening to everything you say and do.

4. Show them that you care in a sincere way. It has to be real. There’s nothing more powerful than a leader that truly cares. You either care or you don’t. You can’t fake it.

I’m pulling for you, that’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

I’ve always loved the car business. Ok, well maybe not always. When growing up in Richmond, VA my dad always had dirt lots, little used car lots and he always struggled, but he was always able to grind it out. I think grinding it out is ingrained in me, but as a young man the last thing I ever wanted to be involved in was the car business.

After college and teaching and coaching for a couple of years I found my way into the car business and the love and passion continues to grow. I love a lot about the car business and especially the people who are in in.

What I love most today is the exciting changes taking place. Some people fight change. I like stirring it up. I like making you think. I like making myself think…what are the possibilities? What’s the next cool twist? What’s the next brilliant idea?

Real leaders are always searching, always digging, always asking the question, what’s next? They want to be the lead, not the follow. Sure being a leader, leading the pack, leading the team, leading the industry has risk. Real leaders are willing to take the risks, because they know in the end they win. Isn’t winning what it’s all about?

Sonic Automotive is winning. Sonic Automotive is leading. Sonic Automotive is taking Risk. If you haven’t read this article you should. SONIC ARTICLE. That’s all I’m gonna say.

1. How much do I know?
2. Am I still learning?
3. Can we do it better?
4. Am I doing all I can do?
5. Am I restricting the team?
6. Am I giving the team the things they need to get the job done?
7. Am I seeking input from the team?
8. Do I love what I’m doing?
9. Am I being “loyal foolish?”
10. Has my thinking gotten stale?
11. Is the old way the best way?
12. Am I leading from the front?
13. Am I pushing from the rear?
14. Am I investing in myself?
15. Am I investing in the team?
16. Am I penny wise and pound foolish?
17. Am I hiring the wrong people?
18. Do I believe in what I’m doing?
19. Am I micro-managing or am I being a good “checker?”
20. Am I living on an island with a closed mind?
21. Why haven’t I hired Tommy Gibbs yet?