What the Best Team on the Planet Can Teach You About Dealership Leadership

When Ed Roberts and Letty Bozard talk about building a championship dealership team, they're not speaking theoretically. As COO and Dealer Principal of Bozard Ford Lincoln in St. Augustine, Florida, they've created something rare in automotive retail: a culture where innovation thrives, accountability flows naturally, and every department—from sales to facilities—understands their role in the bigger picture.

In a recent conversation on the LotTalk podcast, Roberts and Bozard pulled back the curtain on their leadership philosophy, revealing how they've built what they call "BTOP"—the Best Team on the Planet. Here's what every dealership leader needs to know about their approach.

The One Red Flag That Overrides Everything

When evaluating potential leaders, Bozard has a clear dealbreaker: candidates who spend more time talking about what they already know than what they're willing to learn.

"The biggest red flag is if someone wants to spend the majority of the time talking about what they already know," Bozard explains. "I have a hard time getting them to posture themselves into a place of what they can learn."

This isn't about dismissing experience. It's about recognizing the reality of modern dealership operations. As Bozard notes, the first 20 years of her career in the family dealership could be summarized on a few pieces of paper. The last five years? There isn't enough paper to capture all the changes, adaptations, and innovations required.

The automotive industry is throwing curveballs daily—market shifts, technology advancements, evolving consumer expectations. Leaders who can't adapt don't just fail to grow; they actively hold the organization back.

The flip side? When someone demonstrates genuine desire to learn and adapt, they become invaluable. "The day after you join the team, what I'm asking you to work on is probably something that you don't know, not necessarily something that you do know," Bozard says.

Chemistry: The Non-Negotiable Soft Skill

Beyond adaptability, Bozard and Roberts emphasize team chemistry. Roberts puts it simply: "We are stronger together. If they are unwilling to work together as a team, then we're not going to win together."

This isn't about forced team-building exercises or superficial camaraderie. It's about fundamentally believing that collective intelligence beats individual brilliance. Roberts explains their approach: "Do they know it all, or are they willing to use the power of the team? We have to connect with the team first to be able to get the team to open up. And now not only do we all learn from the power of the team, but we all have an opportunity to help that team further develop."

Bozard describes their culture as "that really goofy family reunion where no matter how crazy Aunt Kathy is, we still love her and we are going to act out of love and get Aunt Kathy back on the page." It's about caring enough to challenge each other while maintaining mutual respect and support.

Be Transparent About Your Vision—Even the Crazy Parts

One of the most counterintuitive pieces of advice from this conversation: share your most forward-thinking, potentially controversial ideas during the interview process.

Years ago, when interviewing their current General Sales Manager Justin Williams, Bozard laid out ambitious plans that were years from implementation—single-point sales, elimination of traditional F&I offices, computer-free transactions. "If he's squirming in his seat, he's not my guy," she recalls.

The philosophy? Don't wait a year to discover your new leader isn't aligned with your vision. "A lot of times we want to hold back and try to judge them first and then say, okay, let's see if they'll fit. And then what happens is a year in, you're like, I don't understand why they're not fitting because you never told them this stuff you were gonna ask them to work on."

What could they possibly take from this transparency? Nothing you should worry about. "What are they going to do? Take your idea and run away and try to do it themselves? It's already out there. We're not creating anything that's behind the curtain. We're all just trying to serve our customers."

BTOP: More Than a Rallying Cry

The hashtag #BTOP appears throughout the Bozard organization's social media. It stands for Best Team on the Planet—though Bozard initially challenged Roberts because grammatically it should be BTOTP. (Roberts won that battle.)

But BTOP is more than branding. It serves dual purposes:

First, it's aspirational. It challenges every team member to ask: "Are we operating at the level of the best team on the planet?" It's a standard that applies whether you're closing a deal or cleaning a restroom.

Second, it's a check and balance. When something goes wrong, BTOP provides a framework for honest evaluation. "Were we acting like the best team on the planet when we made those choices?" Bozard asks.

Critically, BTOP emphasizes team over individual departments. As Roberts notes, "It's not the best department on the planet. It's the best team on the planet. In order for us to be the best team on the planet, our offense has to come to the party. Our defense has to come to the party. Our special teams have to come to the party."

This removes silos and creates shared accountability across sales, service, BDC, facilities, and every other function.

Making Every Role Feel Mission-Critical

One challenge with a rallying cry like BTOP: how do you make it resonate with your accounting team or facilities crew the same way it does with sales?

Bozard's answer: help every person understand their specific contribution to the whole. "If I worked in facilities and my role was to go through our physical facility and do maintenance or keep it clean and looking great for our customers, if I didn't feel like that was contributing to the sale of that vehicle, then I don't know how I would translate that into my actions make us the best team on the planet."

The test? "Give them a week off and see how happy you are with the situation. It won't take long before you realize how important their contribution is. When customers start complaining about bathroom cleanliness, you're gonna be like, why am I taking these phone calls?"

Delegation Done Right: Authority, Not Just Tasks

Roberts makes a crucial distinction about how they empower leaders: "One of the toughest things that we do as leaders in any business is learning how to effectively delegate. We delegate task more than anything, and then we create a lot of doers. One of the things I think we're so much better at here is we delegate authority."

This means giving leaders the power to make decisions, not just execute predetermined plans. It creates ownership and accountability at every level.

But with that authority comes responsibility. When a leader says, "I can't get my people to do this," Roberts has a clear response: "You have to look in the mirror. You can't point the finger at them. You have to point the thumb back at you because you get what you allow."

He keeps a reminder on his wall: "You don't get what you deserve and desire. You get what you tolerate and accept."

The Secret Sauce Is Simple: Care

When asked how they get their team to care so deeply, Bozard's answer is disarmingly simple: "You have to care."

She'll pause after saying it, letting the silence sit. People want a seven-step framework or a proprietary system. But the truth is more fundamental.

"If you want a team that cares about your customer, you want a team that cares about your company, you want a team as a car dealer that cares about you and your personal success for your family, then you have to actually care about them. That's it."

The Bozard organization is known for community involvement because Bozard genuinely cares about St. Augustine. The team reflects that commitment because it's authentic, not manufactured.

"I think a lot of leaders are trying to get things to happen that isn't already settled inside of them," Bozard observes. "And I think there's a lot of self-checking when it comes to leadership."

The Bottom Line

Building the best team on the planet—or even just a significantly better one—isn't about complicated systems or expensive consultants. It starts with hiring people who prioritize learning over knowing, who value team success over individual glory.

It continues by being radically transparent about your vision, even when that vision seems uncomfortable or unconventional. It requires delegating real authority while maintaining non-negotiable standards. And it demands that leaders genuinely care about their people and their community.

As Roberts concludes, "We have fun here, but we're a high productive unit. But we could be so much more. And that's our opportunity. So we always have opportunity to get better every day."

That mindset—always improving, always adapting, always learning—might just be the real secret to becoming the best team on the planet.

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