What can a visit to a car wash teach you about leadership? Let’s dive into it!
In today’s fast-paced world, leaders can’t be everywhere and do everything themselves. So how do successful leaders manage a growing business, raise a family, and achieve their own personal goals? It’s all about delegation – but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. In this blog post, I’ll share an anecdote that perfectly illustrates the difference and I’ll teach you how giving your team more autonomy actually leads to better results (for everyone).
The Carwash Story and How it Relates to Leadership
I recently took my family on a road trip through some of America’s spectacular national parks. Since I was using a peer-to-peer car rental service (like Airbnb for cars), I took extra pains to return the car spotless. This included finding a carwash with a vacuum.
Unfortunately, the carwash attendant refused to let me use the vacuum unless I got a carwash – which I couldn’t do without risking damage to some external luggage. I offered to pay, to pay for someone else’s carwash, even offered $50 cash just to use the vacuum for two minutes! He wouldn’t budge. This employee was clearly trained to follow a rigid set of rules and had absolutely no decision-making authority.
Don’t Be the Carwash Guy
This story highlights the danger of failing to give your team decision-making power. When you delegate, are you giving them the freedom to find creative solutions, or are you forcing them to stay within narrow lines and never color outside of them?
The Ritz-Carlton’s legendary $2,000 rule is a perfect example of effective delegation. Employees have the authority to spend up to $2,000 per guest without seeking manager approval to resolve customer issues. This not only leads to happier customers but empowers their team. Think about what smaller versions of that rule might look like in your own business.
The Benefits of Autonomy in Leadership
There are countless benefits to giving your team (and even your family) more autonomy:
- Empowerment: Your team feels valued and capable
- Less micromanagement: You have more time and energy to focus on big-picture goals
- Problem-solving skills: Your team develops the ability to think independently
- Improved results: Allowing your team to be creative often leads to better outcomes
Knowing When to Follow the Checklist
It’s important to note that sometimes, it is absolutely necessary to follow a checklist. In high-stakes situations or when tasks require utmost precision, a detailed checklist is your best friend. But whenever possible, try to provide your team with a “field to play on” rather than a narrow line to walk.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Time-stamped show notes
- [00:30] Intro
- [00:58] Newsletter Signup Promotion
- [01:52] Delegation Discussion Begins
- [02:11] The Carwash Story
- [07:20] Delegation vs. Task Assignment
- [08:12] Importance of Autonomy
- [08:48] The Ritz-Carlton $2,000 Rule
- [10:51] Delegation with Kids Example
- [12:28] Importance of Problem-Solvers
- [12:57] When Checklists are Necessary
- [13:47] Empower Your Team