The Role That Can Make or Break Your Shop
When a shop is stuck, most owners start by looking at the numbers. Car count. ARO. Gross profit. Sales.
But the numbers may only be showing you the symptom. The real issue may be the person setting the pace, creating the rhythm, and leading the team every day.
The right manager can move the shop forward. But the wrong one can hold everything back.
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A Manager Is More Than A Title
Your manager can have the role, the office, and the authority, but that doesn’t mean they’re leading the shop well. A great manager has to bring several pieces together: encouragement, accountability, and structure. If one of those is missing, the entire team feels it.
As Berg put it:
“Your manager is so critical to your store that the cadence, the strategy, the accountability, the encouragement, and the systems all have to play into each other.”
Encouragement without accountability creates a team that feels supported but never challenged. Accountability without encouragement creates pressure without trust. And without structure, even a strong manager can end up reacting to problems instead of leading with clarity.
That’s why management matters so much. Your manager is not just there to keep the day moving. They’re there to set the tone, create rhythm, reinforce expectations, and help the team stay focused on what needs to happen next.
Accountability Starts With Encouragement
Most managers know they need to hold the team accountable. But accountability doesn’t work well when the relationship is only built on correction.
Before your manager can challenge people, they have to know their people. They have to pay attention, ask questions, notice what’s going well, and build enough trust that accountability doesn’t feel like constant criticism.
Berg explained it this way:
“I don’t think that you can have accountability unless … you’ve won the hearts of the people.”
That doesn’t mean your manager avoids hard conversations. It means the hard conversations land differently because the team knows the manager is on their side, not just watching for what they got wrong.
When people feel seen and supported, accountability has something to build on.
Managers Can’t Lead From The Crow’s Nest
If your manager is tucked away in an office, disconnected from the team, or only stepping in when something goes wrong, they’re going to miss the small moments that shape the day.
That’s why your manager has to be in the mix. They need to hear customer conversations, see where work is getting stuck, know what the advisors and technicians are dealing with, and stay close enough to make adjustments before small problems become bigger ones.
That doesn’t mean micromanaging every move. It means being present enough to catch the little teaching moments. A central hub, or “war room,” keeps your manager connected to the flow of the shop. It puts the people, the board, the parts, and the conversations in one place so leadership can happen in real time.
Your manager can’t create rhythm from the sidelines. They have to be close enough to lead the charge and help the team keep moving forward.
Cadence Creates Control
When a shop is struggling, rhythm is usually one of the first things missing. Daily huddles give your manager a chance to take charge before the day takes over. They create a reset that helps the team see what’s in front of them and keeps everyone moving in the same direction.
That rhythm has to continue between you and your manager too. There should be regular communication around the plan, the numbers, the bottlenecks, and the adjustments that need to be made. Your manager can’t lead well if they’re guessing about what matters most.
The goal is not more meetings for the sake of meetings. The goal is a consistent rhythm that keeps the right conversations happening before the shop starts drifting.
When there’s cadence, there’s more clarity. When there’s clarity, your manager can lead with more confidence, and the team has a better chance of staying focused on what needs to happen next.
Owners Have To Let Managers Lead
Your manager can’t lead well if you keep stepping around them. When you correct the team behind your manager’s back or change direction without communicating, it creates confusion. Your manager loses credibility with the team, and the team learns to wait for you instead of following the person leading day to day.
That does not mean you ignore problems. It means you protect your manager’s authority while helping them get better. If something needs to be corrected, bring it to your manager first. Talk through the issue, clarify the plan, and let them lead the correction with the team.
This is also where coaching matters. A manager may have the title, but that doesn’t mean they automatically know how to lead meetings, delegate, build accountability, or manage the rhythm of the shop. They need support, direction, and someone helping them grow into the role.
You have to give your manager the room to lead, but you also have to give them the structure and support to succeed.
A Great Manager Changes The Game
A strong manager can change the direction of the shop. Not because they carry everything alone, but because they help the team move with more clarity, rhythm, accountability, and confidence.
This kind of manager does not develop by accident. They need coaching. They need structure. They need clear expectations, consistent communication, and an owner who is willing to support them without stepping over them.
If your shop feels stuck, the answer may not be another number to chase or another fire to put out. It may be time to look at the leadership driving the day-to-day.
Because when your manager gets stronger, your shop does too.
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