Community

 Community is where we belong. It is also a word that can be described as a feeling. A feeling of connection, a feeling of where you want to be, like home. Where fresh buns are in the oven and dinner is simmering in a pot. What feeling describes community for you? What actions are you taking to create a feeling of community in your work life or home life? Everyone has a reason to be the connection for someone. You can find the greater purpose within you and take the steps to build relationships with those around you.

To bridge the gap that extends beyond coworkers and creates unity from within can reach beyond the four walls of the dealership. Every client, supplier, or delivery person should feel valued interacting with us. Your presence and appreciation for that individual comes through your driving purpose for being today. Every day, thousands of small moments occur across our groups that reflect our shared values, from a technician staying late to finish a repair, a detailer taking extra care on delivery, or a parts driver checking on a customer’s day. These may seem small, but they are the threads that weave our community together.

It’s easy to lose sight of purpose when the days get busy, the work can feel repetitive, and the targets unrelenting. But purpose doesn’t fade when the workload increases, it gets buried under the noise. Our job as leaders, teammates, and contributors is to keep digging it out. To pause long enough to remind ourselves: why did I choose this path? Who am I helping today? Answering these questions leads to purpose-driven work, bringing you back each day to increase the livelihood of our neighbour and our community.

Community is created by a combination of shared identity, purpose, and interests, along with frequent interaction and active participation. It is built on the foundation of connection, belonging, support, and trust of one another to feel a sense of shared purpose and common story. Together we can grow bigger. We need each and every person to make the cog work and it is in the communities we build and our actions that create synergy.

Summer Clouds

 To begin, make yourself comfortable.

Begin to become aware of your breathing.

Notice each breath as it goes in..... and out.....

Take a moment to focus your attention on your breathing, without trying to change anything. Just notice your breathing, focusing intently on each breath.

(pause)

Now see how you can slow the rhythm of your breathing by counting. Breathe in to the count of 4, hold for a count of 3, and exhale to the count of 5.

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Pause...2.....3.....Breathe out....2.....3.....4.....5.....

Again....2....3....4.....Hold...2....3....Exhale....2....3.....4.....5.....

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Hold...2....3....Exhale....2....3.....4.....5.....

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Pause...2.....3.....Breathe out....2.....3.....4.....5.....

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Hold...2....3....Exhale....2....3.....4.....5.....

Continue to breathe slowly, smoothly..... relaxing more with each breath.

Feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed.

As you relax, start to create a picture in your mind. Imagine that you are lying on a blanket outside on a warm summer day. The blanket is in the soft grass, next to some trees.

The sun shines down warmly, and a cool breeze blows across your skin.

See the sky above, blue and bright. See the clouds floating by... blowing in the breeze.

Picture in your mind the details. The feel of the sun and breeze on your skin. The soft grass and blanket beneath you. The trees beside you, a mix of leafy trees and conifers.

The leaves on aspens and poplars wave and turn as they blow in the wind. You can hear the rustle of the leaves. Between the leaves, you can see the trunks and branches of large, old trees. The bark is dark with small patches of light colored mosses and lichens. A few spruce trees grow among the aspens. Their branches move slightly up and down, springing back as the wind blows them.

Watch the clouds passing the branches.... drifting by. Notice the different shapes of clouds. Some are round, fluffy cumulus clouds. Others are long, thin, wispy clouds... like streaks of semi-transparent white paint across the blue of the sky. The clouds drift lazily by. Slowly... smoothly.... floating.

It is so relaxing, watching the clouds drift by in the sky above.

The sun shining down warms and relaxes you, creating a calm, sleepy feeling. The breeze keeps you cool and comfortable.

Feel your body relaxing... bit by bit.... as you sink into the soft blanket and grass beneath you. Feeling your muscles relaxing... letting go. Allowing your breathing to slow as you rest peacefully.

(pause)

Imagine the sights and sounds. The sound of the wind in the trees.... birds singing.... Picture the leaves of the trees as you see them moving.... twisting.... the sun shining through the trees... dappled on your face....

Enjoy relaxing, gazing up at the sky. Watching the clouds drift by. Enjoying this beautiful day.

(pause)

When you are ready to leave this peaceful place, slowly begin to return your awareness to the present.

Take a deep breath in.... and out.

Breathe in again.... and out....

Continue to breathe smoothly and regularly, feeling your energy increasing with each breath.

As you breathe, allow your body to reawaken. Feel the energy flowing through your muscles.

Raise your shoulders as you breathe in, and lower them as you breathe out. Feel your muscles reawaken.

Keep with you the feeling of calm and relaxation, while returning to a state of wakefulness.

When you are ready return to your day, feeling alert and calm.

Knowledge is Power

 Teams with strong development programs outperform others by 24% in productivity and profitability.

It’s not just a business metric — it’s a human one.

Whether someone shows up “average” or “excellent” can often come down to the time and effort you invest in developing them.

But here’s the thing: you can’t just offer one training session and expect greatness to stick — consistency is key.

Once a week, or even once every two weeks, development needs to become part of the rhythm.

After all, you wouldn’t hit one home run and call yourself a Major League player. Excellence comes from practice, coaching, and showing up — again and again.

That’s what education does: it turns potential into progress. And when you commit to developing others, you’re also growing yourself as a leader.

 As leaders, we get to decide: are we just filling roles, or are we developing people?

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. - Nelson Mandela

Education is society's most effective lever for equality. It arms people with the ability to think critically, contribute meaningfully, and rise beyond limitation of their circumstances. From the classroom to the boardroom, education empowers individuals with the confidence and competence to participate fully in society.

Think back to the teacher, mentor, or boss who changed the trajectory of your life. That’s the power of education.

In every community, and across every industry, we see the same truth repeated: opportunity is not evenly distributed but education has the power to shift that. Education is a structured path out of generational cycles. It's the spark that ignites someone's potential. It is the training ground where quiet strength and untapped brilliance are brought to life.

Education doesn't stop with formal learning, it continues with how we manage our people. We must ask ourselves;

Are we developing our teams for the runway ahead?

Can they not only do this job they're in today but the next role after that?

Am I doing what's needed as a leader to prepare them for my role and beyond?

If your employee turned in their updated resume every six months, would it reflect growth? Would it show new skills, greater confidence, and deeper impact?

That's the True Test of Leadership!

We must want our people to succeed, whether they stay or go. That's how we build a culture of excellence, mentorship, and shared success. When we pour into people with intention, we create leaders who will carry that forward through our teams, our industry, and our community.

This week, invest in one person. Teach them one new skill. Ask them one deeper question. That’s how the ripple begins.