Effective change comes from effective leadership

It is the dream of many people, especially those dissatisfied with their job, to decide to become their own boss. They think of the freedom, the flexibility, the write-offs and the great boss they will have — being themselves. Then they actually start a business, with its permits, applications, business plans, bank meetings, hiring employees and the sleepless nights wondering if they are going to make it.

Many intelligent, hard working automotive technicians have done just that. Some have created successful shops, some have gone in over their heads and lost their businesses; but most have bought themselves jobs. Yes they are the boss or owner in title, but it becomes just another job and that great boss they thought they would have has become even worse than the one they used to have; and they have to face this one in the mirror every morning. So you have bought yourself a job and owning your own shop has turned out to be not what you thought it would be. You are stressed out, worn out and anxious. Now what?

What has to be grasped right away is that to succeed you have to change how you are doing many things in your business in order to do those things better. The goal is to be more effective and efficient in the hours of operation of the business. Change is always difficult. However, change is necessary to move forward.

In small businesses, specifically automotive shops, there is the assumption that if you are an owner or a manager, you are also the boss. The next assumption is that if you are the boss, you are the leader. My research shows that the better leader you are, the better your implementation of the required changes will be.

It is not for lack of intelligence or hard work that many shop owners lack good leadership skills. Today’s lack of effective leadership skills is a result of the old paternalistic way of doing business which has prevented those skills from being taught in our industry.

What I mean by a paternalistic way of doing business is the old-fashioned idea that when the boss said jump, you said, “How high?” You did what you were told because you were afraid to loose your job. Apprentices were hazed and still are in some areas. We make apprentices do all the grunt work and dirty jobs, because we also had, in our time, put up with the same treatment. This is not an effective way to convey leadership or to teach the leadership skills needed to make the effective changes required in a business for long-term success and profitability. Study after study shows employees function better and are more engaged in their work if they are appreciated, if they are allowed to have a say in their work place and if they are allowed to work with their strengths and talents.

So how do we transition from being bosses to leaders? In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership author John C. Maxwell refers to an informal poll that he took of leaders and found that 10 per cent of leaders became leaders because they had natural gifts, five per cent became leaders as a result of a crisis and 85 per cent became leaders because of the influence of another leader. If 85 per cent of people can learn to be leaders, that means there is great hope for our industry.

The first thing owners need to do is be aware of the difference between a boss and a leader: leading and managing are different things. For example, people cannot be managed. However, systems and procedures can be managed. People, instead, need to be led, mentored and taught.

As a leader you influence others to accept your ideas, your vision and the direction you want to go. The challenge to being a good leader is gaining the respect of those you want to influence; people want to follow a good leader.

I believe most automotive shop owners have the capacity to become great leaders in their businesses. The shift from being a boss to a leader can be done in small, easy to accomplish steps. I know for a fact that many shops do not have regular staff meetings, employee review processes, or mechanisms for employees to give feedback to the company. These are basics skills that an owner needs to acquire to become a leader: how to run a meeting, how to effectively evaluate and motivate employees, and how to communicate management decisions in a clear concise fashion.

In Marcus Buckingham’s book First, Break All The Rules he quotes a study done by the Gallup Company on the core elements needed to attract, focus and retain the most talented employees. If you are rated highly by your employees in these areas you will have an eager, engaged and highly productive workforce.

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?

2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best, everyday?

4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?

5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?

8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?

9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?

10. Do I have a best friend at work?

11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?

12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

There are many styles of leadership and thousands of books written on leadership. First start with thinking about your role as a leader and begin to see yourself as a leader. Then note the recommendations of good books on leadership and find someone to mentor you in your growth as a leader. That way, when you look at the boss in the mirror you will see someone you respect. When you respect yourself, others will too and with that respect you will gain influence. With this influence you will be able to implement greater change in your shop to reduce stress and increase profitability.

This will bring a whole new meaning to the term, “being my own boss,” and with it an opportunity for you to enjoy your business like never before. Leadership is not control or authoritarian rule, leadership is influence and being a role model. Good leadership in all areas of the independent automotive repair industry will bring back the dream of what owning your own shop can be.

Murray Voth, implementation coach with TACT Inc. TACT Inc. offers consulting and training to the independent servic provider industry with its PROShop Manager program. TACT can be contacted at 1-866-489-8228 and www.proshopmanager.ca.