• Stop being a LURKER - join our dealer community and get involved. Sign up and start a conversation.

Good Leadership - why is it so hard to find?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
E

EricaS

Green Pea
Nov 25, 2009
7
0
#1
I'm sorry, I just have to rant...I manage a lot of our software partnerships for our group. These range from CRM to call measurement to online service scheduling to online parts and accessories to inventory management, etc. I am continually stunned at the absolute lack of leadership at some of these companies.

Three of them in particular (I won't name names, but some of you could probably guess which three) never cease to amaze me in their ability to be flawed, handle situations poorly and then not learn from their mistakes. With some of the larger screw ups, I tend to become unglued and my boss will have to bring me back down by saying, "What did you expect? You know they never get anything right!"

Why is this? Is it automotive? Is it small business? Is it just these companies? All three of the companies have no clear leadership and are run by people who are severely ADD or completely burnt out. Which begs me to ask the following questions:

1) Why is good leadership so hard to find? Are there really that few good leaders being "groomed"/created/trained?

2) Why do we as a company put up with it? Ok, this one I can answer, because for one of them - they have no competitors that are worth anything and for the other two, the general sentiment from my higher ups is the pain involved in switching is greater than their current screw ups. (Yeah, for them, but I want to scream/jump out a window/main anthrax on a daily basis - so I disagree with this)

Does anyone else have this with their vendor partners?
 
#2
EricaS said:
I'm sorry, I just have to rant...I manage a lot of our software partnerships for our group. These range from CRM to call measurement to online service scheduling to online parts and accessories to inventory management, etc. I am continually stunned at the absolute lack of leadership at some of these companies.

Three of them in particular (I won't name names, but some of you could probably guess which three) never cease to amaze me in their ability to be flawed, handle situations poorly and then not learn from their mistakes. With some of the larger screw ups, I tend to become unglued and my boss will have to bring me back down by saying, "What did you expect? You know they never get anything right!"

Why is this? Is it automotive? Is it small business? Is it just these companies? All three of the companies have no clear leadership and are run by people who are severely ADD or completely burnt out. Which begs me to ask the following questions:

1) Why is good leadership so hard to find? Are there really that few good leaders being "groomed"/created/trained?

2) Why do we as a company put up with it? Ok, this one I can answer, because for one of them - they have no competitors that are worth anything and for the other two, the general sentiment from my higher ups is the pain involved in switching is greater than their current screw ups. (Yeah, for them, but I want to scream/jump out a window/main anthrax on a daily basis - so I disagree with this)

Does anyone else have this with their vendor partners?
Click to expand...

In my experience true leaders can't be "groomed" to be leaders. They are already leaders. They can become better managers, employees by empowering them to make their own decisions and giving them the knowledge to do so. To many times "managers, supervisors" keep this to themselves making the even a true leader to look like a crappy one. Knowledge is power and without companies sharing it to empower their employees you will get the results you described above. Something that I feel is getting worse than better.
 
#4
"...leaders being "groomed"/created/trained?" hmmm...

Jeff, having served more than a few (hundred) dealers throughout your area I can attest to the fact that the "bar" is not set very high from the dealer side. You and a handful like you "get it" and expect vendors to do the same... while the vast majority of dealers accept the same results that frustrate you. Your management acceptance of the problem is typical in my experience and likely will continue the cycle. Sorry for the gloomy prediction. DTG
 
#5
Jeff, there really is no mystery to the question at all, why are leaders hard to find.

The simple answer is there are not very many leaders out there- we aren't taught that way in school. We are taught to "conform". To further complicate matters, upper management identifies a good management candidate as the top salesman. This is B.S. Tommy Lasorda, Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa all arel/will be in the baseball hall of fame, not because of their playing days, but because of their leadership/management of the teams they are associated with.

Ask the average person the difference between a leader and a manager and their eyes will cross because most people wouldn't know a leader if they kicked them in the butt. A leader is a rogue, a maverick who is not afraid to buck the trends and ask "Why do we do it this way?". They chart their own course, make difficult (unpopular) decisions. Someone who is not afraid to find a better way or be the lone voice saying no, that is wrong. It should be done this way.

Most people do not know how to find a leader much less how to cultivate one because leaders can make most people uncomfortable; make them accountable, create change, shows signs of arrogance. Most symptoms of a leader are shunned, particularly in a dealership or a small business. We are too afraid to try something new which is a reason why dealers are lagging so much with regards to advances in web marketing.

With respect to the vendors in question, I think you are asking the impossible- for someone to take OWNERSHIP of the problem. I get the sense there may have been some passing the buck (NO WAY!). That doesn't happen, does it? Again, people are not comfortable being accountable, consequently they cannot be a leader. They would rather blame blame blame, not realizing you DON'T CARE whose fault it is, and to the customer, the person on the phone is no different to you as the person who is being blamed.

You don't need a title to be a leader, but you do need to at least hold yourself accountable.
 
Last edited:
#6
If everyone was a leader there would be no leaders.

I think everyone at some point makes a conscience decision on whether or not they want to be a leader and what are they going to do in order to be that leader. There are of course different levels of leaders and as a "leader in training" you might surpass someone that you looked to as a leader.
 
#8
Gerald said:
1. The simple answer is there are not very many leaders out there- we aren't taught that way in school. We are taught to "conform". To further complicate matters, upper management identifies a good management candidate as the top salesman.

2. Most people do not know how to find a leader much less how to cultivate one because leaders can make most people uncomfortable; make them accountable, create change, shows signs of arrogance. Most symptoms of a leader are shunned, particularly in a dealership or a small business. We are too afraid to try something new which is a reason why dealers are lagging so much with regards to advances in web marketing.
Click to expand...

2 very good points here and a great post overall Gerald :thumbup: - thank you.
 
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply
Jump to latest Follow Reply
Menu