What may have worked in a dealership 30 days ago may not work today. Marsh Buice of Mark Dodge Chrysler Jeep, and host of the What’s Your Podcast, says automotive leaders must remain curious, creative and willing to change rather than rationalize disappointing results. His leadership approach emphasizes continuous learning, decisive action, and helping employees develop into leaders themselves.
During today’s CBT Live segment, Buice said that dealership leaders should start identifying the habits that prevent them and their teams from moving forward. He groups common challenges into adversity, uncertainty and complacency, and recommends five skills to address them:
- Communication
- Curiosity
- Creativity
- Continuous learning and action
- Productive confrontation
He also encourages leaders to act when they recognize a problem rather than put it off. Leaders should handle tasks that directly affect results immediately, while delegating other responsibilities with clear expectations and follow-up coaching. Buice said that approach helps managers develop employees who can eventually become leaders themselves.
Dealership leaders must look beyond individual sales. Buice would give a negative top performer a chance to understand how their behavior affects colleagues, but wouldn’t retain someone whose harmful attitude persists. Even salespeople selling over 20 vehicles monthly can spread negativity and damage the operation. Strong results, he said, shouldn’t excuse behavior that harms the team or sets a poor precedent.
Buice also urged sales teams to view setbacks as part of the process, not a reason to give up. A slow start can discourage salespeople, though the next customer may change the month’s outcome. Since rejection is common, he encourages employees to reset and keep engaging shoppers. Since 2017, Buice has spent 15 minutes daily reading a book passage, writing about his perspective, and applying what he learns.
