He had never turned a wrench prior to opening Denver-based Avalon Motorsports in 2007, but owner Brian Sump has since turned his shop into what a number of industry consultants consider to be one of the best repair facilities in the industry.

At the 2017 Ratchet+Wrench conference, Sump led an interactive super session on “The Three Keys to Effective Leadership.” He went over the three “V’s” of leadership:

• Values
• Vision
• Viability

Core values are important, but Sump asked attendees if their values accurately reflect their business. He recommends avoiding hollow, bland or dishonest values.

One of the main takeaways of the session was that what you value (or don’t value) will ultimately determine the culture of your company. Sump recommends picking two or three values yourself, let your team pick two and create a poster listing those values that hangs in the shop. He even encourages reciting them during meetings.

The 2018 Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference will be held Sept. 20–22 at the Westin Lombard near Chicago.