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.