7 skills you need to be an effective leader or manager in the car business

On the latest episode of Mind Your Own Business, host Jonathan Dawson, founder of Sellchology, discusses the importance of leadership. Dawson addresses the different ways you can impact your car dealership as a leader, how to develop positive leadership skills, and how to hire leaders for your team. The seven skills of effective leaders or managers include:

1. The ability to see things as they are and not worse than they are. A good leader should be honest about where they are as a dealership. They should be analyzing their potential, and offer practical solutions to achieve their goals. Don’t panic or make impulsive decisions when the dealership has had a bad month. Don’t lose sight of the long-term vision.
2. You want your team to be successful, more than they do. An effective leader is an effective coach. You have to be able to see what your team can’t see.
3. The ability to see a weakness in a person and not weakness as a person. Poor leaders judge their team’s weakness from the perspective of their own strength. A good leader doesn’t define a weakness as that person’s overall character.
4. The ability to take their team to the next level. A great leader has the ability to shape culture and behavior through their presence. A competent leader is aware of how their presence and behavior affect others.
5. Anticipate future trends and adapt to them. The automotive industry is in a constant state of change. What are you doing to see where the market is going and what are you doing to get in front of it? A strategic leader knows where we have been, as well as what’s happening next.
6. Great leaders are humble people. They apologize and admit when they are wrong. They are willing to own their mistakes and the impact they have on everyone else.
7. Maintain a high standard through accountability. Your team will rise to the lowest allowable standard you will tolerate. The thing you complain about is what you tolerate. Dawson says, if you don’t make it clear, assumptions will kick in. Actively and proactively keep people accountable. To be an effective leader, it’s a combination of many things. As you reflect on these seven skills, ask yourself, how can I mind my own business by paying attention to the way I can be an effective leader?

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