Who Would Have Thought a Car Wash Could Teach Us This?

Not long ago, I drove into one of those automated car washes. A simple choice of suds and wax, a wave from the attendant, and in seconds my SUV was rolling forward on the conveyor. Brushes whirled, foam covered the windows, jets of water blasted away the grime. In less than two minutes, I rolled out into the sunshine with a car so clean it looked like new.

Here’s the kicker—I didn’t lift a finger. What would’ve taken me an hour of bending, scrubbing, and stretching (and still missing the roof), was done faster, better, and with less effort.

It struck me: leadership and life are a lot like that car wash. Too often we equate busyness with productivity. But efficiency, perspective, and allowing others—or systems—to do what they do best can free us to focus on what matters most.

Three Takeaways for Leaders

Busy Doesn’t Equal Effective
Spending more time doesn’t always mean better results. True leadership is knowing how to direct energy toward the highest outcomes.

Protect What Only You Can Do
Leaders can scrub away at everything themselves—or they can delegate. The greatest impact comes when we conserve our time for vision, relationships, and decisions that only we can make.

Excellence is a Team Sport
Just like a car wash reaches places I can’t, surrounding yourself with people and systems of excellence produces results beyond your solo capacity. Trusting others multiplies impact.

When I pulled away from that wash bay, I realized the sparkle wasn’t just on my car—it was in the reminder that success isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about learning when to hold the brush, and when to let the conveyor carry you through.

That’s the kind of lesson organizations, teams, and associations need: perspective that shifts how we see our time, our roles, and the opportunities right in front of us.