In times like these, we learn the business lessons that stick with us for the rest of our lives. One lesson I think we’ll see is that the tire dealers who kept all of their technicians and best sales people employed during the pandemic will recover faster than those who did not.

It can be simple to set goals. But there's strategy involved in setting goals that will generate positive results. Here's a hint: good goals aren't good enough.

Now that you’ve established the right kind of trust with your employees, let’s look at something that you, as a leader, will — at some point — contend with when dealing with subordinates: conflict.

Most independent tire dealers get into the tire and automotive service business because they enjoy fixing vehicles or selling things. Many probably started working for a larger chain or their father/mother/grandparents and got pretty good at fixing and selling, so they thought, “I’d like to be my own boss doing this.”  And they scraped together enough cash, took on enormous debt, and hung their shingle outside. 

Dennis McCarron has a challenge for every manager, owner — every boss. He's even made it a double-dog dare: for one week,  only point out the positive things your employees do, and keep the negatives to yourself.

What really separates you from the competitor down the street is the people in your building. And it’s not what they know. It’s the things you can’t teach. Do they care? Do they listen? Do they act like they want to make things right?