080: Gaining A Strong Leadership Edge with Jose R. Costa, CEO North America, GrandVision NV

 “Dreaming big takes the same amount of effort as dreaming small, so go big.

- Jose R. Costa

On this episode of The Pivotal Leader, Gina Trimarco interviewed Jose R. Costa, CEO of For Eyes, which is part of GrandVision, a global leader in optical retail with more than 7,000 stores worldwide. He has a background steeped in marketing, franchising, multi-unit retailing and enhancing customer experience at some of the most recognized brands in the world.

He is the author of “Leading With Edge: Activate Your Advantage Through Personal Insight,” which features the concept of leadership as a practice, inviting readers to acknowledge the determination and grit it takes to be a good leader. Previous to his current role as CEO, he served as Group President of Driven Brands where he led MAACO®, CARSTAR® and Drive N Style®. Collectively, these brands operate more than 1,400 body shops across North America, generate more than $1.8 billion in annual system sales and further establish Driven Brands as a leader in the automotive aftermarket space. Previously, he was President of MAACO®, where he was responsible for managing and developing 500 automotive body shops across the U.S. and Canada.

Podcast Topics Include:

• The inspiration for writing a leadership book
• Why there is high demand but low supply for strong leadership
• How to lead with edge
• The importance of the “Ask, Listen & Be Curious”
• How to become more curious and a better listener and how improv skills can help
• Theater and improv skills in business
• Employee engagement strategies
• Core (common sense) leadership fundamentals
• Jose’s “no computer” policy during meetings
• Jose’s four key meeting reasons: to explore, inform, decide or debate
• Advice for becoming a CEO and successful in business
• His experience on Undercover Boss
• Performance reviews, “spontaneous feedback” and millennials
• Training and development strategies for employees
• The value of working with the worst managers
• Creating a culture of education and continuous learning
• Advice for franchisees and franchisors
• Jose’s favorite books (and he reads a lot) – book list available on our website

FULL SHOW NOTES