Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus are one of the most legendary driver- crew chief pairings in NASCAR history.
They achieved unprecedented success with 81 wins together and hold the record (7) for the most NASCAR Cup Championships by a driver-crew chief tandem, five of them consecutively.
Knaus didn’t get there by chance or without the help of a highly talented, hand-selected team.
A NASCAR crew chief’s success relies heavily on the capabilities and performance of their team. Team members provide the crew chief with crucial data about the car’s performance, track conditions, and potential adjustments needed to achieve optimal speed and handling.
The synchronized actions of the pit crews during stops are paramount for gaining or maintaining track position. The mechanics who work on the car’s setup, decided by the crew chief and engineers, can be the difference between winning and losing.
A successful crew chief, like Knaus, must have a nose for talent. Beyond skill and experience, he looks for team members with the character and personal values that will shine on race day.
Knaus is known for an unusual test at the end of his selection process.
After a candidate’s interview, Knaus walks the prospective team member to the parking lot to say goodbye.
And to check out their car.
He doesn’t care what kind of car they drive (old, new, flashy, expensive, or modified). He only wants to know one thing—do they take care of it?
If the car isn’t clean and well-maintained, Knaus turns the candidate down. He figures if you don’t take care of your stuff, you aren’t going to take good care of his.
Some small acts or displays are commonly symbolic for leaders who are good at selecting talent. They make big inferences from smaller actions or representations.
While others may think their pass/fail tests are unfair or unreasonable, these leaders draw a hard line about an inference that they believe is highly correlated with success.
Some are nonsense and portend a close-minded leader, but there are clearly indicators of approach and values that should be important to leaders.
For instance, what if you walked into a prospective candidate’s workspace and saw stacks of papers, boxes, and trash? Would the assumption that they were disorganized and likely to have cluttered thinking be fair and important?
Of course, there are very few universal personal choices that predict success perfectly. Still, good leaders must reflect on their own experience and know the kind of team member they are looking for, be it generous, resourceful, punctual, or likeable, among many others.
Looking for displays, choices, or actions that display or negate these critical qualities is how leaders find a shortcut to making a great selection. Others may argue that they are biased in their judgments over their inferences, but almost every good judge of talent relies on some.
What qualities in team members are must-haves for you, and do you have any representations that give you an instant clue about whether a prospective candidate has them?
By the way, how clean is your car?
