Character traits of an effective leader are a critical piece of the puzzle. They have their fingerprints and mindset on every aspect and pulse of the business. This is a key role and comes with great responsibility to drive that automotive ship. Regardless of the shop size in regards to bay size, whether 5 or 6 or 25 or 50 bays, it is all about team building, it is still about delivering the ultimate customer service experience. Every consumer desire and deserves a customer experience that is memorable. I have addressed some key and more essential traits; here are a few examples: 1) Transactional: Goal setting (daily) and structures are new ideal tools like music to a leader’s ears. Our ears and eyes must constantly be on high alert. Their style is defined by self-motivation, self-upgrading your skill sets and overall knowledge, taking complete ownership and full accountability of every facet of the business. It is all about the results and how one continues to invest in the team. 2) Transformational: Values, vision, and mission, which are the cornerstones in driving the business to the next level and beyond. They constantly are looking for the next area to leverage and stay ahead of all the real players and competition. They offer inspiration, the push to bring the entire team to understand the high expectation on today’s consumers by nurturing a positive work culture with innovative approaches. Another prized trait is mental toughness which requires a killer attitude to take advantage of opportunities. This is something that is so necessary. You will need to invest as a chain or other independent shops to see what I have to share. Today, I believe service managers and CEOs need to be more entrepreneurial in nature. Times are changing and even the smaller communities are constantly shifting to a more diverse audience; thus, causing us to be more effective communicators. This means we have to improve the buying experience with greater ownership while becoming more sophisticated to resonate with everyone and the shifting dynamics of the marketplace.