Once when I was teaching Jr. High School I was asked to substitute teach a first year Spanish class. I hadn't spoken Spanish in years so I wasn't sure how I was going to approach it. Then I remembered that all I really had to do was learn just a little more than the students knew before I got to class. So I opened the book and studied for about 3 hours the night before class. I called a friend and asked a few questions, and then I practiced my pronunciation to make sure I was saying it right. "Que hora es?" "What time is it?"

As a manager, one of your responsibilities should be to stay ahead of the learning curve when it comes to your knowledge and skills related to the automotive industry. That means you should read more, take more courses, and listen to more ideas than those you lead. But that doesn't mean you need to know everything; you just need to know more about the important things.

Comittment to a life of study

True leadership begins with a comittment to learning. Until they find a way to plug us in and upload information like in "The Matrix", we're left to follow certain disciplines for learning. And in order for us to take hold of our role as leaders, we must stay one step ahead of our people. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

- Assess the needs of your team to determine what knowledge and skills are lacking.
- Investigate the available sources for training in the areas that are most needed and take a course or read a book so you are prepared to lead the change effort.
- Begin with your team leaders and gradually impart the learning by modeling the new behaviors and attending training with them.

As your knowledge and skills increase, your team will respect you more and trust your leadership!

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