If you were to go into the front office of the NFL’s Pittsburg Steelers, you'd be confronted with a sign that says, “The Standard is the Standard.” It’s a phrase that, if you’ve seen a Mike Tomlin press conference, is reiterated time and again. It means that no matter what happens externally—calls don’t go the right way, players don’t make plays or injuries occur—there are no excuses. The baseline is you have a job to do, and you’re expected to perform it under any circumstances.
The shop owners in this month’s feature “Zero to $1 Million” (p. XX) are a reflection of Tomlin’s mantra. These stories are of people who opened shops in less than idyllic ways and through determination, saw them through from zero to $1 million and beyond. When the going got tough, they took an any means necessary approach to solving their challenges to ensure success.
Travis Leavitt of Leavitt Automotive in North Logan, Utah, built his shop from grit and fortitude. After a sink-or-swim start, he struggled to learn the complexities of the business. He wisely hired a coach and built the systems necessary to get his shop to the seven-figure mark within five years.
For Judi Haglin, she and her husband, Dana, decided to go for it when Dana realized he needed to get something going to generate cash after college. He leaned into the mechanical repair skills he possessed and saw an opportunity. Judi, who was managing a Mcdonald's, married her skills to his and a shop was born. They went on to build a shop with a sterling reputation across the industry.
High standards are the reason these shops are thriving today, but without good leadership and humility from the top, standards can be compromised or lost.
In his column this month, Joe Marconi discusses this need for humility from the top. In “When an Employee Brings You Bad News Say Thank You,” (p. xx) Marconi argues that shop owners should welcome all feedback from their team members, particularly if it’s not what they want to hear. He writes: “You need to do a little self-reflection to ensure that you are a leader that is approachable, and not on the defensive when an employee wants to sit down and discuss things.”
Whether you’re a Steelers fan or not—I am—it’s hard to refute the wisdom of a coach with the pedigree and accountability Tomlin brings. And who knows, perhaps the mantra of your shop belongs on a large wall for all to see that steels their commitment to the team every time they clock in.
The Standard is the Standard.
