How to become a better automotive business leader

Could investing in your leadership skills be exactly what’s needed to not just supercharge your business success, but to perhaps rekindle your passion for automotive?

If you’ve been running an automotive business for a while, it’s easy to get yourself into a rut. That’s what happened to Adrian De Rosa, owner of Noranda Service Centre in Perth’s inner northern suburbs. He started the business in 2005 in a small, two-bay workshop.

“Two or three years ago we were pretty stuck in the way we were doing things and we’d just started getting really complacent,” Adrian said. “We were at crossroads and thought either go forward and try and really develop myself as a leader, and develop the business, or we look at other options and maybe even exit the business.”

Adrian decided to invest in his leadership skills and contacted The Workshop Whisperer. “That definitely opened my eyes to ways of doing things better and learning from other people in the industry who do things well; it’s a good network to be in,” he said. “When it comes to staff and making them feel like they’re part of our journey, that they’re heard and valued – we weren’t doing any of that. It doesn’t happen overnight and we’re forever building on it, but we have a much better environment now, and our team has grown.”

Importantly, Adrian is no longer constantly burnt out from being spread too thinly across the business.

“Everyone’s got their role and it’s not me trying to do everything anymore,” he said. “I’m definitely more excited to be going to work and just watching everyone do what they’re meant to do, and to be overseeing it. I’m really proud of that. It’s a good feeling.”

Adrian has since moved to a larger premises and he and his wife, Anne, now employ five people.

This year’s State of the Nation report found that 35% of Members were looking to upskill—and leadership skills are arguably the best investment a business owner can make. Leadership skills are different to management skills. Here’s how Harvard Business School defines the difference:

• The manager administers; the leader innovates

• The manager maintains; the leader develops

• The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people

Capricorn Member Director Lydia Stjepanovic, a second-generation auto business owner from Sydney, said while a good manager “is someone who has an analytical mind and is able to understand all the resources they have at their disposal”, a good leader “inspires a vision and empowers growth” and is always curious about how to inspire others, how to communicate effectively, and how to empower their team.

“The first benefit of an empowering leadership style is that you will inherently breed good culture, where those who are empowered want to work,” Lydia said. “A strong leader communicates the ‘why’ behind their business and they align everything that the business does and communicate with the team on a regular basis why it’s important. It’s not just about fixing cars.”

Lydia’s own investment in her business leadership skills included attending an educational event with American business coach Tony Robbins – something she describes as a transformative experience. She also follows the advice of marketing guru Simon Sinek. But you don’t have to pay for an expensive event to start your leadership journey.

“Learn from others,” Lydia said. “Read books, listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, be really intrigued by others’ stories. Go to forums, summits, anything where you can get information. But be critical of that information and distil it down to what’s relevant to you. If you find someone who intrigues you, message them on LinkedIn. Sometimes when you reach out to people, especially in the industry, they’re willing to impart their knowledge. Find a mentor and a business coach.”