With the start of a new year, there is no better time to examine our dealership's culture and management teams. It is a chance to sharpen our processes, reinforce trust, and empower leadership to reach new goals in 2025. A healthy management structure is not just about who’s in charge but about how we work together to create a productive, positive environment that drives success. Let’s explore what that looks like.

In a healthy culture, everyone’s voice matters, but letting everyone vote on every single decision will stall progress faster than a dead battery in the middle of winter. Good to Great by Jim Collins emphasizes “the right people in the right seats,” meaning each leader should own their lane and be empowered to make key decisions. Here is a deeper dive into why never-ending consensus is a recipe for frustration and how dealerships can improve.

1. Endless Consensus Leads to Paralysis

Nothing gets done when you wait for everyone to say “yes” before moving forward.

• Marketing Budget Example: Your dealership wants to push a new SUV model. If the finance manager, the service manager, and the sales team all need to unanimously agree on every detail, from the monthly spend to which photos get used, your campaign could launch months later. Instead, gather quick input from relevant stakeholders, then let your marketing lead make the final call. You’ll move faster and see results sooner.

2. Diffused Accountability

Too many cooks in the kitchen mean no one truly owns the meal.

• Trade-In Appraisals Example: Maybe your used-car manager has years of experience in appraisals, but you bring in the entire staff to debate a single trade value. Now if the car is a bust, who’s accountable? By trusting your used-car manager, you keep decision-making clean. If a mistake happens, it’s a clear learning opportunity for that manager, not a blame game for everyone.

3. Trust in Leadership, or Lack Thereof

Leaders who outsource every decision appear weak or uncertain, which trickles down to the team.

• Policy Decisions Example: Your leadership team should decide on a new return policy for used vehicles after some targeted research and employee input. If you turn every tweak into a mass debate with 50+ employees, you’ll erode confidence in leadership. Folks might start asking, “Aren’t they paid to steer the ship?”

4. Expertise Matters

Good to Great states that you trust their expertise once you get the right people. Let them do what they’re best at.

• F&I Manager Example: Your F&I manager is on a first-name basis with every local lender and knows all the rates and how to package deals properly. They do not need the entire organization’s blessing when recommending a financing package. Ask for relevant updates, but let the expert steer these decisions.

5. Time is Money

Endless debate is a huge, Big Time suck.

• Productivity Drain Example: Suppose you want to change the coffee provider for your waiting area. If every team member is forced to weigh in, you have just wasted hours on a decision that barely affects your bottom line. Empower a facilities manager or receptionist to handle it. Keep everyone else focused on what truly moves the needle.  

6. Culture Grows on Empowerment, Not Votes

A positive culture thrives when employees trust their leaders to make informed decisions and respect feedback, but also when decisions aren’t dragged through layers of voting.

• Service Department Scheduling: If your service manager is confident about staffing needs for a new extended-hour pilot, let them run with it. Collect input from the team, sure, but a quick poll or meeting is enough. The manager says, “Go,” and you roll it out. This transparency plus authority shows employees their input matters while preserving the leadership structure.

7. When to Involve the Group

Democracy is not all bad it is about using it wisely.

• Big, Company-Wide Initiatives: If you are rolling out a new benefits package or rebranding the entire dealership, solicit broad feedback. Host Q&A sessions. Let employees share concerns. Ultimately, however, senior leadership should always make the final call.

Empowered leadership paired with informed feedback fosters a culture of trust and accountability, exactly what Good to Great highlights. By steering clear of “decision-by-committee” for every little issue, dealerships can focus on what truly moves the needle: delivering an excellent customer experience, hitting sales targets, and developing managers who thrive in their lanes. It’s not about shutting employees out. It is about recognizing that the best ideas flow when leaders listen carefully, decide decisively, and trust the team to follow through.

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-by Terry MacCauley, Founder & CEO