Episode 33: You Don’t Have to Outrun the Bear—Just the Competition | Tariff Day Leadership Strategy

Foreign. Tariff day. It's kind of day that throws stress in the air, just like confetti. And I gotta tell you, if you're an automotive retail, you can feel it in your gut. Let me share with you a story that I know you've heard before. Two guys are camping in the woods and they're standing up and all of a sudden they see a bear come up. And the one says the other, come on, we gotta run. And he takes off and the other one's running after him and he says, listen, there's no way we can outrun the bear. He turns over his shoulder and looks at his friend and says, I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you. Let's talk about how that story just became your personal survival plan. Hi, I'm Chris Hunsicker and welcome to the Dealership War Room, the podcast for leaders who don't blink. They refocus, they reload, and they just run faster. Today I want to give you a mindset shift that might just help you sleep better tonight and, and we'll definitely help you sell more tomorrow. Look, we can't outrun the economy. We don't get to decide on global supply chains, we don't get to decide on tariff policies, and we don't get to decide on the Fed and what they're going to say or how customers are going to react to one more story about economic uncertainty. The bear is here. You can feel its breath. But here's the truth. You don't have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun the competition. And in our world, you don't need to fix the whole economy. You just need to be faster, sharper and more focused than the store down the street. Because here's what happens when uncertainty spikes. Some stores, they freeze, they panic, they lose focus, they stop doing the basics, they start chasing ghosts. And most importantly, they stop leading. The GM starts talking about things they can't control, the sales team loses confidence, and the leadership team gets so distracted by fear, instead of doubling down on execution. And that, my friend, is where you win. Because while they're unraveling, you're tightening the screws. You're sticking to process, you're leading with calm, you're executing on fundamentals. And where they see chaos, you see opportunity. In days like today, certainty is your competitive advantage. The economy may be shifting, but your focus doesn't have to. Here's what winning stores are doing today. Training harder and not panicking. Making data driven decisions. Not emotional ones. Doubling down on communication and leaning into it and not withdrawing and stepping back and panicking and keeping their team focused on behaviors and not just outcomes. Some dealerships are going to get absolutely wrecked by this. Not because of the tariffs, but because of how their leadership reacted to the tariffs. You want to win? Lead like a thermometer, not a thermostat. Don't react to the heat, so set the temperature. Because your people are always watching and they're always asking, hey, are we going to be okay? Is this going to work out? And when they look to you, what are they going to see? Calm, centered confidence or panicked fear? Craziness. See, your team is wondering, is it time to hide? Or is it time to hunt? And when you show up steady, prepared and focused, you give your team permission to rise. Don't get distracted. Don't start spiraling. Don't start swinging wildly. Stay focused, stay calm, stay centered, and do the things that most people forget to do in moments like this. Basics, fundamentals, execution. We're not just surviving. We're building the kind of leadership that survives in any economy. So let's go create some leadership. Fire. Win this day, and I'll see you tomorrow in the dealership war room.