Hempy: The Path to Leadership Requires Growth-Oriented Mindset

One of the most overlooked truths in our industry is that most great service center managers and district leaders didn’t come from outside. They started right where you might be today: working as a technician. Quick-lube service centers depend on leadership that understands the service center bays. That’s why all of our many of our managers at Oilstop have hands-on experience pulling drain plugs, checking tire pressures, recommending air filters, and greeting guests at the window. The path to leadership only requires a desire to grow and some effort to improve.

So where do you start? Before you can lead, you need to show you can do the job with excellence. That means consistently delivering quality service. Double-checking your inspections, ensuring each guest’s car leaves better than it came in, and completing your work on time. Being a great technician is more than speed. It’s about attention to detail, cleanliness, safety, and professionalism. When you hold yourself to a high standard every single day, it earns you credibility with teammates and managers. This demonstrates that you can be trusted for more responsibility.

Next up, focus on your communication skills. Leaders don’t just do the job; they make sure everyone understands the job. This is where communication skills are critical. Whether you are helping a guest understand the value of a cabin air filter, guiding a new team member through a complex oil filter change, or keeping your manager updated on a service that’s taking extra time, all of this takes great communication. Practice using confident language with guests. Ask questions that show you care. Speak up in team huddles. All of these habits will help you stand out as someone who can lead by example and clearly explain what needs to happen.

Great leaders don’t just focus on what’s in front of them. They pay attention to the service center as a whole. Get curious about the metrics that drive the business. What’s your service center’s car count goal? What’s the average ticket? What’s your team’s bay time? Talk to your manager, and ask if you can help track some of these. Maybe you can take a turn counting this month’s inventory or assisting with ordering. Every bit of exposure to the business side of the service center operations will help you grow into a well-rounded leader.

You don’t need a title to help a teammate succeed. As an experienced tech, you already have valuable knowledge newer team members need. Make it your habit to welcome new team members, teach them service center standards, and model the teamwork and positivity you want to see. Remember: Leadership is most evident when no one’s watching. Find ways you can help a team member when they’re behind, or offer to train someone on a new service. These small actions don’t go unnoticed.

Last, and most important in your journey: Ask for feedback. All the most successful leaders I know continually ask for one thing: honest feedback. Check in with your manager regularly and ask about what you are doing well and where you might be able to improve. Taking feedback seriously and working to improve those areas of weakness is one of the fastest ways to stand out as someone who is ready for leadership.

Moving up from a front-line position to a leadership role is a very real and attainable goal in the quick lube world. It takes consistency, communication, a willingness to grow, and, most importantly, the desire to help others succeed. Leadership isn’t defined by a title. It’s shown by the way you show up for your team and your guests. The next leadership role might not be posted on a job board. It might be offered to the person who’s already acting like a leader. And that person could be you.