7 Laws of Leadership

Nov. 1, 2020
The best leaders know how to inspire their teams.

For Roy Foster, owner of Roy Foster’s in Reno, Nev., when it came to road trips, it was all about the destination and not the journey—until close to 20 years ago when a road trip with the bishop of his church changed his perspective.

Foster and his bishop were chaperoning their kid’s school trip and drove separately alongside the bus. During the trip from Reno to Santa Cruz, Calif., Foster says they stopped “at least six times” to help people alongside the road that were having car trouble. Even more surprising? Foster’s bishop didn’t actually know anything about cars; he just wanted to extend help.

“It’s a lesson on selflessness. Doing for others and paying it forward,” Foster says. “All of a  sudden, time wasn’t important. It was all about being in the moment and helping someone.” 

That trip forever changed Foster’s outlook on leadership and what it meant for him to be an effective leader. Twenty years later, the experience is still top of mind for him. 

“I’m happy we didn’t blow by those people—it’s been a lesson,” Foster says. 

 Leadership means taking the time to help others, not shouting demands. It’s all about paying it forward and inspiring others. By doing this, you’ll have people that want to follow you, not people that feel required to carry out your demands. 

There are many other shop owners that have had realizations that have led them to becoming a more successful leader. Mixed in with insight from the 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey data, shop owners and leadership experts share their most important rule for being an effective leader. Here are the 7 laws of leadership.

Law No. 1: Encourage autonomy. 

“Because of my experience and my excellent memory, if someone ran into a problem, I would take care of it myself because it was the quickest fix.”

How many of you can relate to Bryan Kauffeld, owner of Ulmer’s Auto Care, a three-location MSO in Ohio? 

When it comes to working on vehicles, Kauffeld is in the majority. Forty-one percent of 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey respondents said that they occasionally work on vehicles and 31 percent say they do every day. For many, it’s difficult to let someone else find the answer when it’s so readily available to you. But, that’s the only way they’ll grow, which is a valuable lesson that Kauffeld had to learn when he stepped into a leadership position. 

Kauffled started on the counter and worked his way up to owner and is currently running a shop with an ARO of $536 and over $6 million in revenue per year. Working in all of the different positions, Kauffled is able to answer almost any question or solve an issue that a staff member may have and for a while, he did, until he attended John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You training and then Developing the Leaders Around You training. For six months, Kauffeld was trained in real-life leadership scenarios that taught him to step back and stop micromanaging. Now, instead of just solving the problem, he talks out how he would handle the situation so that, the next time, the person can do it on his or her own.

Before, it was quicker, but it didn’t teach them anything, Kauffeld says. By teaching, eventually that person will develop autonomy and not need to rely on you, which will free up time for you to work on the bigger picture rather than focusing on the day to day, he explains. 

This isn’t something he’s perfected, however. Kauffeld is quick to point out that he is still working on his patience. Before taking over, Kauffeld suggests taking 30 seconds to calm down, take a deep breath, and then calmly walk your employee through it to tell them how a situation should be handled next time.

Law No. 2: Make the call. 

Mitch Moncur’s wife was the one that called him out. 

“She said, ‘you read all of these [leadership books] but complain every day—you’re not applying it,’” Moncur says. 

The owner of the $1.5 million-per-year, 272-cars-per-month Denny’s Auto Inc in Riverton, Utah, knew his wife was right. Reading all of the books in the world doesn’t mean you’re applying the principles. 

Moncur says that when he started, he didn’t have the respect of his entire team. The reason, he says, is because he wouldn’t make a decision—even something as simple as a tech coming in late or a question on how to bill someone. 

“Before, I would run to someone else and not make a decision,” Moncur says. “I would bounce my ideas off them and they would make the decision for me.”

Now, unless the decision is a huge one that requires everyone’s input, Moncur makes the call. The key, he says, is learning that you can be both fair and firm—it’s not necessary to be your staff’s best friend. The moment he realized this was when he started to gain respect, he says. 

“I thought the best way to earn respect was people pleasing—that is not the best way,” Moncur says. “Keep the shop’s best interest at heart, it’s usually your staff’s as well.” 

So, the next time you have to make a tough call, ask yourself if it’s what’s best for business. It may be unpopular at the time, but in the long run, the staff will thank you and respect you more. 

Law No. 3: Be Open to Change 

Mike Jones, founder of Discover Leadership Training, says that one of the biggest mistakes that he sees in leaders is that they are not malleable. 

“They’re rigid. They’re afraid of other people’s ideas,” Jones says.

The best leaders are open to change and they don’t have to prove other people wrong to be right, Jones says. The best leaders look for input from others and are willing to try ideas that are not their own and take a risk. In order to be successful with this, you need to make sure your staff knows that they can communicate ideas and input openly with you and that you will have their backs. That’s when you’ll become a leader that people want to follow rather than have to follow, Jones says. 

If you don’t have this type of relationship with your staff already, it’s not a lost cause, Jones says. During a morning or even weekly meeting with your staff, encourage them to start offering their opinions. If this isn’t something you’ve already been doing, many people may be discouraged from voicing their opinions so start out by “brain writing,” as Jones calls it. If you’re looking to change something in the shop and want unfiltered, honest feedback, ask your staff to write down their ideas and keep them anonymous, rather than speak up. All of the answers can be pulled out of a hat and the team can discuss the ideas together. This is even good practice for those that already have open communication from their team. Jones says that many times, the most powerful answers come from people who would never voice their opinions out loud.

Staff isn’t the only resource for new ideas. Peer networking groups and business coaches can also help take you to the next level. 

Law No. 4: Push for collaboration. 

You won’t catch Foster demanding his staff do something. The environment at Roy Foster’s in Reno is not a monarchy. Foster, who took over his father’s auto repair business in 1992, is all about teamwork and everyone being a part of the solution. Doing so has helped raise ARO 26.5 percent and revenue 11.6 percent year over year in 2020.  

Foster, who is heavily involved in the community and gives support to local businesses, says his leadership is inspired by his faith. His church has no paid leadership, he says. Rather, everyone enters having little to no experience and then they learn the position and take over. 

“Everybody has something to bring—different perspectives,” Foster says. 

The same holds true for running a business. When developing or revising a new policy or practice, the entire staff at Roy Foster’s is consoled. This helps get different, valuable input from those that will actually carry out the processes and it helps get greater buy-in, Foster explains. It’s not him telling them to do something, it’s them all coming together to find a solution, which makes it much more likely that it will be followed long term and not just something they do because the “boss is making them.”

Roy Foster’s has both a vision and a mission statement, as well as core values. Frequently, during meetings, for example, Foster and the team will discuss each of these and how to best put each in practice. Doing this helps filter out those that aren’t a good fit and develops a positive culture, Foster says.

Law No. 5: Set clear expectations.

In the beginning of 2020, Bruce Crittendon, an ASE-certified tech, moved into the position of service advisor and general manager at Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid in Grand Rapids, Mich. Since moving into the position, Crittendon feels he’s found his groove, which includes learning that being direct and clear in what you need from people is key in leadership. In other words, don’t make them guess. 

When a vehicle comes in, Crittendon has set his expectations so that all of his technicians know what to do when repairing it.

First, they need to drive the vehicle and look for issues, fix those issues, drive it again. Then, they hand the keys over to him to drive it one last time. He does this so he can be 100 percent confident that the issue is fixed when he hands the keys back to the customer. 

“If you’re 100 percent sure it’s right, hand it to me,” Crittendon says. “They can’t hand it to me if it’s wrong.”

Crittendon says that Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid’s system of checks and balances works and has allowed the business to thrive thanks to the staff’s commitment to sticking to those expectations.  

“If you want someone to do something, you have to have it in writing. It’s harder to enforce something that’s hearsay,” Crittendon says.

 These clear expectations have led to an ARO of $754 and an annual revenue of roughly $1.1 million. 

Law No. 6: Put your best foot forward.

Harry Cohen, author of Secrets of the Obvious and leadership coach, says that the essence of great leadership is the same as great parenting. 

“It’s a combination of mentoring, guiding, coaching, disciplining, inspiring, and value reinforcement,” Cohen says. 

A parent wants what’s best for his or her child. A shop owner, Cohen explains, is no different when it comes to his or her business and staff. Cohen focuses on heliotropic leadership: A practice that emphasizes the benefits of compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness. 

“All people are capable of being nasty, but losing your temper is never good,” Cohen says. “As a leader, you need to contain that. When they’re not giving you their best, your job is to help them do their best.” 

A leader that shows he or she cares about his or her people will be a leader that people “will run through a wall for,” Cohen explains. 

Do this by providing the tools that they need to succeed and then getting out of their ways. By providing clear direction, motivation, and inspiration, you will put your staff in a position to succeed. 

Law No. 7: Inspire self care and work life balance in others.

A good leader takes care of his or herself, and that includes making time for a personal life. 

“I am a major advocate of starting the day off with something for yourself first,” Amanda Clements Drake says.  

Clements Drake’s alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. The vice president and manager of three of four locations of C & C Automotive (Georgia and South Carolina) and mother of two has a lot to do, and, in order to fit it all in, an early wake-up call is key, in order to run an MSO that turns out 1400 cars per month for a combined revenue of $6.9 million. As soon as she wakes up, she works out and has her “me time” before getting ready and kissing her kids goodbye as they’re getting up. After that, Clements Drake is all cylinders go and arrives at the first of three locations she’ll visit through the day at 7 a.m. Then, after 6 p.m., it’s all about family. 

No business after 6 p.m. is easier said than done, and, although it’s not always possible, Clements Drake has found an effective way to make sure she’s not constantly checking her phone—putting it in the bathroom. Out of sight, out of mind. 

“I want to spend as much time with my kids as I can during their younger years,” Clements Drake says.  

Once her kids are in bed, typically around 9, Clements Drake will allow herself to check her phone and emails if anyone needs her, but, the majority of information she gets, can wait until the next morning. Taking that time to balance her work and personal life helps ensure that she is performing at her best in both areas of her life.

Structuring her day like this has allowed her to be more effective at achieving her goals, she explains. By laser focusing on one task, she’s been able to get more accomplished, something she’s still working on perfecting. 

“I take care of myself first, then the middle of the day is devoted to my career and after six during the week and most of the weekend is my time with my kids,” Clements Drake says. “Once again, it's not always perfect, but it’s what I strive for.” 

Sponsored Recommendations

How one auto shop was able to order 20% more parts

Learn how one auto shop talks about the benefit of using PartsTech in their shop.

Vehicle Inspection Checklist For Auto Shops

Vehicle inspections, whether digital or on paper, are crucial for auto shops, ensuring thorough assessments and fostering trust by transparently revealing a vehicle's condition...

6 Reasons Why A Digital Vehicle Inspection Is A Must-Have

In an era of growing technology and innovation, auto repair shops must keep pace with the latest advancements to meet customers preferences and remain competitive.

How Your Auto Shop Can Now Connect To 30 Tire Suppliers For Free

Yep! We have over 50 tire suppliers in our network. And PartsTech is the only platform where you can access more than 30 of those suppliers FREE OF CHARGE.