The 7 Gears That Power Every Top-Performing Dealership
High-performing dealerships don’t succeed by accident. They operate like precision machines — and every machine depends on aligned gears. When even one gear slips, performance suffers. When all gears engage together, execution becomes natural, consistent, and scalable. After three decades of working with dealerships, the 7 Gears of Readiness Mindset framework identifies the behaviors that separate average stores from top performers: Going the Extra Mile, Personal Initiative, Self-Discipline, Controlled Attention, Controlled Enthusiasm, Accurate Thought, and Creative Vision. These aren’t motivational slogans — they’re operational disciplines. They shape how salespeople follow process, how managers make decisions, how teams handle pressure, and how organizations scale growth without losing culture. When these seven gears work in sync, dealerships reduce internal friction, increase accountability, and unlock sustainable performance. If your dealership feels stuck, the problem may not be your market — it may be a gear that’s misaligned.
David R. Ibarra
Feb 19, 2026