Imagine a leader. What do they look like? How do they exert their authority? 

     In collision repair (and many other industries!), that image has been depressingly consistent for decades: decisive, authoritative, often male and occasionally convinced that raising his voice to a pitch that shatters windshields counts as a management strategy. Demonstrated by demanding compliance, leadership has been exerted assertively – perhaps even aggressively.

     Today, that definition is shifting. In place of the stereotypical gruff, grey-haired guy barking orders (and raising everyone’s blood pressure), more collision repair businesses have embraced the philosophy of hiring the best person for the job, whether that person is younger than expected or (gasp!) possesses the apparently radical qualification of being female. Leadership is increasingly being measured in terms of environment, rather than hierarchy…not by how loudly someone yells but by how well the team performs under that leader. 

     Running a shop demands technical expertise, but it also requires emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability and the ability to develop people – not just repair vehicles. (Turns out that growing a moustache isn’t a prerequisite for researching OEM procedures.)

     Yet, this evolution is not happening evenly. Studies conducted on the automotive industry as a whole indicate that over 40% of women report missing out on career advancement due to gender, while 91% believe the lack of leadership diversity is tied to systemic bias. At the same time, 64% of women say career progression is extremely important, but a majority also report unclear or inconsistent pathways into leadership roles. Many describe being told (directly or indirectly) that they are not being considered for advancement due to assumptions about caregiving responsibilities, long-term commitment or future family planning – thanks to the psychic abilities of male executives who apparently moonlight as OB-GYNs and find it appropriate to make sweeping career decisions based on hypotheses about how a female employee may utilize her uterus in the future.

     Career advancement opportunities shouldn’t be based on a game of “Guess What This Woman Might Do Five Years From Now.” Yet, that’s exactly how many leadership decisions continue to be made. As a result, talented people get overlooked, leadership pipelines shrink and industries create their own workforce shortages while wondering where all the qualified candidates went.

     Fortunately, not everyone is still playing by those rules. Some collision repair leaders have stopped obsessing over who fits the traditional management mold and started focusing on what actually drives performance. Inside those shops, a different reality is taking shape. While some businesses are still debating whether culture, representation and leadership style actually impact performance, others have stopped debating and started producing results.

     To understand what that looks like in practice, Glossed & Gritty spoke with three leaders whose careers reflect both the progress and the friction shaping the industry today: Dawn Engel, co-owner of JDs Macomb Auto Collision (Shelby Township, MI); Andrew “Drew” Bryant, CEO of DB Orlando Collision Center (Orlando, FL); and Amber Alley, General Manager of Barsotti’s Body & Fender (San Rafael, CA). 

     Each traversed a different path to leadership, yet all three converge on a shared truth: leadership is not a title – it is a system for building people, culture and trust.

    Dawn’s path to leadership emerged naturally within the business she co-owns with her brother, Joe Nadley; he focuses on craftsmanship, while Dawn’s role centers on operations, customer experience, documentation and repair strategy. “Leadership wasn’t originally about pursuing a title,” she explains. “It came from wanting stronger systems, better communication and higher standards for both repairs and customer experience. By capitalizing on our individual strengths, Joe’s and my roles organically evolved into a leadership structure where we each contribute differently but toward the same goal: proper repairs and a strong reputation.”

     That mindset defines her approach today, guided by her “understanding that leadership in collision repair is really about creating stability under pressure. Customers come to us after an accident, which is often one of the most stressful moments of their lives. Employees rely on consistency. Despite insurance companies constantly challenging time, procedures and costs, the repair itself still must be done correctly.”

     Recognizing the need for stability, Dawn directs her efforts on ensuring the shop has the “systems, communication, documentation and workflow necessary for talented people to do their best work without constantly fighting unnecessary chaos [because] quality only thrives in an environment where leadership protects it.”

     Drew emphasizes culture as a performance system. His background in restaurant leadership and training development shaped a different entry point into collision repair, one rooted in people and behavior rather than technical production. “Early on, I was very focused on performance, growth and operational improvement, but as I gained experience, I realized leadership is much less about managing production and much more about developing people.”

     That shift became foundational, helping him understand the responsibilities of a leader as he recognized “how deeply workplace culture affects confidence, motivation and even someone’s personal life outside of work.” That realization inspired him to create “an environment where people feel valued, challenged, supported and proud of what they do.

      “Strong leadership requires balancing high standards with empathy,” Drew stresses. “People perform better when they know their leader genuinely cares about them as individuals, not just employees. Systems and accountability alone are not enough to build a great team.”

     Rather than viewing shop culture as an outcome of operations, he sees it as a vital part of the business’ operating system. “You can create structure, processes and expectations, but if people don’t feel respected, heard and invested in, the culture eventually breaks down.”

     Amber’s perspective has been developed through longevity. Her 32-year career reflects both the evolution of the industry and the lived experience of navigating leadership in a historically male-dominated environment. Her trek into management evolved naturally, with her career beginning after graduating high school when she started working in a body shop while attending junior college. 

     Long before estimating systems fit neatly inside a laptop, Amber learned the trade the old-fashioned way: manuals, note-taking, research and enough repetition to make today’s trainees break out in hives. “I would go with the shop owner, look at the car, take notes, pull books and help with research,” she recalls. Unfortunately, she was unexpectedly let go at 19 when the shop restructured and hired a manager. Although she was initially devastated, Amber now sees it as a lesson in timing and opportunity. Moreover, “it was pretty awesome that [the shop owner] replaced me with a female manager. In the ‘90s, that was pretty forward-thinking,” she reflects. 

     Amber’s career progressed through several shops before she found a long-term home in San Francisco, where she spent eight years growing into increasingly complex roles. “I was managing the office, writing estimates, handling receivables, payables, HR… I was burnt out,” she says, describing the period that ultimately led her to Barsotti’s in 2003 where an intended return to estimating eventually evolved into a leadership path she didn’t initially intend to pursue. After multiple management changes, ownership asked her to step into the manager role. 

     Although Amber never set out to acquire a title, she kept saying yes to opportunities to learn, contribute and grow. In doing so, she discovered something many women experience: sometimes you’ve already earned a seat at the table long before you realize you’re sitting there. 

      “I didn’t really want the position,” she admits. “I just wanted to write estimates and not carry everything anymore.” Luckily, a trusted mentor encouraged her to accept the role, so she stepped up – and ultimately helped shape the future of the shop and the culture that has made it a success. Now, she reflects on a career defined by steady growth, operational depth and a willingness to embrace responsibility when the shop needed it most as she leads a multi-building operation with 40 employees and more than 30 OEM certifications. 

     That early stretch of Amber’s career didn’t just build her skill set; it shaped how she would eventually lead. Like many leaders coming up in a male-dominated industry, she admits there were years of internal pressure to overcompensate. “I feel like I’ve had to work harder, learn more, show up, be on time more,” she reflects, describing a pressure many women in male-dominated industries know well. For years, she felt the need to prove herself in ways that often went unspoken, holding herself to a higher standard because she knew her performance would be scrutinized more closely. Yet, that same pressure also cultivated many of the qualities that have defined her success: preparation, accountability, adaptability and a relentless commitment to growth. Like many women in collision repair, what began as a need to prove she belonged ultimately became one of her greatest professional strengths.

      “People expect you to be what they envision a man to be in your position,” she says, noting how early in her career she wrestled with that expectation before realizing it wasn’t the standard she had to adopt after observing her mentor’s leadership style, which was fair, steady and focused on people. Watching his approach challenged the assumptions she had absorbed about what a strong manager was supposed to look like. “I realized I had been buying into this stereotype that a manager needs to be overly strict or aggressive, but there’s a way to achieve results without yelling, screaming or taking bats to radios,” she quips – setting a shockingly high bar for basic human workplace decorum.

     That philosophy extends directly into how she manages people, allowing her to develop a leadership style rooted in balance rather than force. Instead of rigid, one-size-fits-all rules, she focuses on context, communication and accountability because leadership isn’t measured by how effectively you can terrify a room into silence; it’s measured by what happens after you leave it.

     Amber, Dawn and Drew agree that “workplace culture” is more than a mere buzzword; it’s a strategic advantage. Drew frames culture through consistency and communication systems. By implementing structured feedback loops that feed directly into weekly one-on-one meetings, his shop ensures employees have continuous input into how the business operates. “When people are consistently given a voice and know they’ll genuinely be heard, the need for constant reassurance disappears. Everyone develops confidence.”

     That realization caused him to reconsider how he communicates, coaches and develops his team. “I became much more intentional about listening, understanding personality differences and creating opportunities for team members to grow into leadership themselves.” Over time, that system reshaped his organization. “Pairing that with disciplined time management changed everything for our shop culturally,” Drew shares. “I am passionate about building a culture where employees can genuinely grow both personally and professionally.”

     Dawn agrees that culture has a huge impact on a shop’s success and that cultivating the right work environment is a key component to leadership. “I work hard to create a culture where quality matters, communication is direct and customers feel genuinely cared for throughout the process.”

     For Amber, the right culture leads to a shared standard of professionalism that defines how the entire team operates. “We’ve built a culture where everyone strives to be their best because they know they’ll have the support to succeed. Professionalism isn’t just about repair quality – it’s about how we communicate, how we present ourselves and how we care for our customers. I trust every member of our team to speak with a customer because they understand the standards we represent. When people are supported, held accountable and take pride in their work, that professionalism becomes part of the culture.”

     Most importantly, culture isn’t established based on what’s written into the rules – it is developed by what is enforced…and what is tolerated. Despite progress toward equality and equity, bias remains embedded in the industry’s leadership structure. Even in highly professional environments, credibility is still not always granted automatically – especially for women in leadership. Men are often presumed competent until proven otherwise, while women are frequently handed the opposite assignment: prove themselves repeatedly, answer the follow-up questions, provide the receipts, explain it one more time and patiently wait while everyone else takes the scenic route to the conclusion she reached 15 minutes ago. 

     “There can be an assumption that you’re handling the ‘office side’ without understanding the repair side,” Dawn acknowledges. (Because clearly, possessing double-X chromosomes indicates that women are biologically incapable of understanding how a frame machine works. She must just be there to organize the breakroom snacks.) “Over time, I learned not to internalize that. Knowledge changes conversations quickly. When you can confidently discuss OEM procedures and repair methodology, skepticism tends to disappear.”

     Dawn recalls an instance when a customer refused to take her technical feedback seriously, assuming she was just “the girl in the office.” Instead of reacting emotionally, she brought Joe into the conversation. “In front of the customer, Joe asked me what I thought the repair plan should be. I walked through the estimate, explained the structural considerations and the overall process step-by-step. Joe backed me completely, reinforcing my knowledge.” 

     From that day on, the customer bypassed the shop floor and called Dawn directly. “Confidence doesn’t always have to be loud,” Engel observes. “Sometimes, the strongest response is simply being prepared, knowledgeable and consistent enough that people eventually recognize your expertise for themselves. Knowledge changes conversations quickly.”

     Amber also reports experiencing bias over the years from customers and employees, especially in the beginning of her career. “Early on, I would have customers ask to speak to someone who ‘actually knows what they’re doing.’ I’ve been in this industry for 32 years, but I’m very honest that I’m not a ‘car person’ in the traditional sense; I’m a business and people person. It took time to become comfortable with the technical side of collision repair, and that meant I was often questioned more than others. But I didn’t take it as something personal or necessarily negative. Instead, I tried to treat it as a challenge – what do I need to learn, or how do I need to show up differently so that doesn’t happen again?” 

      She also tackles the situation with humility, rather than leading with ego. “If I don’t have the answer, I don’t pretend – I go get the person who does and bring that expertise back to the customer. In this industry, trust is built by follow-through, not by trying to know everything yourself. And that applies internally as well. Even now, I still ask a lot of questions and continue learning because I value getting things right. I’ve found that the more you stay open, the more your team trusts you and the less those moments of doubt or bias define the relationship. You keep showing up, you keep learning, and over time, your work speaks for itself.”

     Drew points out that skepticism is not limited to gender – it can also apply to any leader breaking with tradition. “We all have moments where we’re underestimated or questioned, especially when introducing new ideas or challenging traditional ways of thinking,” he says, recalling resistance he faced from long-tenured industry professionals when implementing less traditional approaches. 

     “Early on, I felt the need to prove myself more aggressively, but now, when situations arise where my expertise or perspective is questioned, I try to approach them with patience and professionalism. Staying calm, staying prepared and continuing to lead through action has earned far more respect than trying to force people to agree with me,” he adds. “Over time, I learned that consistency, humility and results speak much louder than emotion or ego ever will.”

     The path forward isn’t complicated, but it does require accountability. Amber believes that one of the biggest shifts the industry still needs to make starts with an honest assessment of culture. When she hears Neanderthalian defenses like “women wouldn’t survive in a shop because of the way the guys are,” she doesn’t buy the excuse that grown men are untameable safari animals. “That sounds like a ‘you’ problem,” she says bluntly, expressing the belief that it is a fundamental leadership failure rather than a workforce limitation.

     Translation: If your culture is so toxic that qualified employees can’t succeed in it, the problem isn’t women – it’s the culture, so how about making some repairs?

     In her view, shops need to stop normalizing poor culture and instead recognize that today’s workforce – regardless of gender – expects respect, structure and accountability. She also emphasizes that workforce expectations have fundamentally changed. “Newer generations are not going to put up with what we used to tolerate.” (And frankly, why should they? The industry’s future workforce has made it abundantly clear that “because that’s how we’ve always done it” is no longer a compelling recruitment strategy! Shockingly, they expect to be paid in actual money and respect, rather than ‘valuable life lessons’ delivered via a barrage of insults from a guy named Big Bob. ) 

     Framing the challenge to improve culture as a leader’s responsibility, Drew believes, “Leadership teams have to become intentional about developing and understanding their people. Talent grows where opportunity, encouragement, belief and support exist consistently.”

     Dawn reinforces the need for visibility and mentorship. “We need more visible examples of successful female leadership in collision repair,” she says. “We also need to normalize women in technical and leadership roles, so it stops feeling unusual. The more women people see running shops, leading teams, writing repair plans, managing operations and making technical decisions, the faster perceptions change. Most importantly, we need to continue raising standards overall. Modern collision repair requires intelligence, adaptability, communication and continuous education – not outdated stereotypes about who belongs in a shop. Representation changes what people believe is possible!”

     She also believes that mentorship is extremely important. “This industry has a steep learning curve, and having people willing to share knowledge accelerates growth tremendously. Even informal mentorship matters, whether it’s learning from technicians, vendors, trainers or other shop owners. No one succeeds entirely alone in this business.”

     “Training and mentorship are huge,” Drew agrees. “A lot of talented people leave industries not because they lack ability, but because they lack support, direction or a clear growth path. Providing structured development, leadership opportunities and consistent coaching makes a major difference.”

     For Amber, “treating people right” isn’t just about handling conflict or setting expectations – it’s about creating a workplace where employees feel seen, supported and trusted through the realities of their lives, not just their roles. For example, offering flexible shifts that allow employees to work four 10-hour days, come in late or leave early provides a better work-life balance for employees who have personal obligations. “Be the manager you’d want to work for,” Amber suggests, embodying the mentality that when a leader takes care of their people, their team takes better care of the business. Mind-blowing, right?

     That perspective becomes especially important when looking at barriers related to caregiving which have always disproportionately impacted women. Amber’s approach is rooted in lived experience. “I’ve had two kids while I was employed here. My bosses gave me the time off without making me feel guilty, and when a child is sick, they’ll allow me to work from home. They understand the importance of family, so I’ve never missed a school parade or Christmas recital.”

     That experience created a lot of loyalty to the company and shaped her leadership philosophy. “I want to share the kind of grace that was given to me with my team; I don’t want them to miss those important moments either,” she insists, sharing recent examples of this policy in practice which include allowing a new mom to bring her infant to work before a doctor’s appointment and educating a new father about how paternity leave works. “A lot of employees don’t know what type of support they’ll have when they become parents, and employers worry that new moms won’t come back after maternity leave. Many women plan to return to work, and you have to find a way to accommodate the time they need off. Having policies that support work/life balance makes for happier employees – male and female. It’s about figuring out ways to meet people where they are and supporting them through those milestones in life. It’s telling them, ‘Take care of what’s important’ without making them feel they have to worry about losing their position.”

     Amber doesn’t view flexibility as an exception; she sees it as an important part of the shop’s infrastructure. Drew echoes the sentiment: “Life happens, and strong businesses build systems that allow people to navigate it without derailing their careers. We have to understand that our employees are humans first.”

     “Strong businesses build systems that allow people to navigate real-life responsibilities without feeling disposable,” Dawn expands on the same sentiment. “People perform better when they feel supported instead of punished for being human.”

     What becomes clear after speaking with Amber, Dawn and Drew is that this conversation is about much more than women in leadership – it’s about shifting the entire paradigm and recognizing what leadership actually requires in 2026.

     For decades, collision repair rewarded a specific style of authority. Leadership was often associated with control, hierarchy and technical expertise above all else. But as workforce expectations evolve, shops are discovering that technical excellence alone isn’t enough to attract talent, retain employees or build resilient businesses.

     Although the leaders interviewed for this story shared different backgrounds, personalities and career paths, a common philosophy emerged:

• Leadership is about development, not control.
• Culture is built through consistency.
• Communication is more powerful than authority.
• Respect is the baseline, not the reward.

     Those principles matter because the industry’s workforce challenges are not slowing down. While women continue to report barriers to advancement, the collision repair industry also faces broader concerns around recruiting, retaining and developing the next generation of professionals. The businesses that thrive will likely be the ones willing to rethink old assumptions about who leads, how leadership is demonstrated and what employees expect from the organizations they choose to join.

     Research suggests that shift isn’t simply philosophical. Studies cited by Automotive News indicate that companies with diverse leadership teams are eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes, six times more likely to be innovative and agile and significantly more likely to outperform financially. 

     As it turns out, treating people like human beings and hiring based on actual talent makes companies more money; it’s a radical capitalistic strategy called ‘not being bad at business.’ Diversity is not a charitable initiative; it is a business strategy. 

     Dawn sees that future as inherently collaborative. “Collision repair is not a one-person business,” she emphasizes. “It takes technicians, painters, estimators, managers, vendors and support staff all working together at a high level. At our shop, Joe’s craftsmanship and repair quality are a huge part of our reputation, and my role is creating the operational and customer experience side that supports that work. The future belongs to shops that combine technical excellence with strong communication, leadership and customer trust, and that’s something women can absolutely play a major role in shaping.”

     Drew agrees that strong cultures are built by focusing less on differences and more on creating environments where everyone can contribute at a high level. “Some of the best teams I’ve ever been part of were built around mutual respect, accountability, humility and trust. When leadership intentionally creates and protects that type of environment, people naturally begin lifting each other up – regardless of personality, background or role. I’m incredibly proud of the women on our team and the impact they’ve had on our culture, our customers and the future direction of our business. They’ve helped make us better in every sense of the word.”

     Amber remains optimistic as well. After more than three decades in the industry, she sees meaningful progress happening in real time. “These conversations leave me really hopeful. More leaders are asking how to develop and promote women. They’re looking at their businesses differently.”

     Still, she believes progress requires honesty. “Analyze what you see, and look at your shop objectively. Sometimes you need to evaluate how you’re running your business.”

     That may ultimately be the challenge facing collision repair – not whether women belong in leadership, whether diversity matters or even if workplace culture positively impacts performance. The evidence indisputably answers those questions. 

     One prevailing question remains: Is the industry willing to evolve beyond the legacy definitions of authority to create environments where talent can actually advance?

     A shift is underway across collision repair. Employee expectations are advancing faster than some shops’ cultures, but inside organizations led by people like Dawn, Drew and Amber, another model is already operating – one that isn’t defined by hierarchy but by trust, systems that support people, cultures that retain talent and leaders willing to evolve alongside their teams. 

     Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about asking better questions, creating better cultures and making room for voices that have historically been overlooked.

     The future of collision repair won’t be determined by who gets invited to the table – that table was built decades ago based on rigid hierarchies and outdated leadership styles that believe “loud” = authority. The future doesn’t belong to the loudest voice, the biggest ego or those devoted to protecting the status quo. It won’t be built by the people fighting for a seat at that table.

     The future includes leaders who are willing to build collaborative cultures – environments where employees learn, contribute, grow (personally and professionally) and find a true home. It will be built by those willing to flip the old table and build a better one. 

The future of collision repair will be shaped by the leaders willing to challenge assumptions, invest in people and build stronger cultures. In the July and August editions of Impact Report, Glossed & Gritty’s monthly e-newsletter, Amber, Dawn and Drew continue the conversation with additional perspectives on workforce diversity, leadership misconceptions and the strategies that helped them advance their own careers – and help others do the same. 

10 Leadership Lessons