Leadership lessons from weather delays, diverted flights and a late-night drive home.
If you’ll recall last month’s travelogue, the final day of my recent Vision High Tech Expo experience started like most travel days do, with a plan and the expectation that everything would go smoothly. The bags are packed. The show is almost done. You’re already thinking about home.
Just when you think the trip is over… that’s when the real story begins. In a moment, everything changes, because Texas weather often has other ideas.
Flights cancel. Plans shift. What looked simple suddenly gets complicated. And now you’re faced with a choice. You can sit back and let frustration take over… or you can lean in and solve the problem.
As we left the Vision High Tech Expo, a wall of Texas weather turned a routine trip home into something entirely different. What followed wasn’t just a travel delay.
It was a reminder that leadership isn’t defined by how you perform when things go right: it’s revealed when everything goes wrong.
Don’t Mess With Texas (Weather)
Anyone who lives here knows that spring storms can change travel plans in a hurry. My podcast co-host David Wofford checked his phone and noticed his flight had been cancelled. The next available option wasn’t leaving until 4 AM the next morning so, instead of panicking, David did what good leaders do: he started working the problem.
Within minutes, he found another flight option that would land close to midnight. Then his son Drew, who works for Southwest Airlines, stepped in and helped him secure an even better backup plan. Problem-solving in action.
Meanwhile, my flight was still on time, so we headed to the airport feeling pretty confident. We took some time ahead of boarding to just hang out like good friends do.
David’s flight was a little earlier than mine and he not only left on time but landed early. I thought for sure that I’d be home that evening as well but deciding that it would be a while before I got home, I grabbed some more great Kansas City barbecue from a place near my gate. Then boarding began at 2:40 PM for a 3 PM departure.
Everything looked normal until it wasn’t.
Wait… This Isn’t Houston
Before takeoff, the pilot mentioned storms ahead but said he would try to fly around them. I put on my noise-canceling headphones, turned on some music and settled in for the flight home.
As we began our descent, I glanced out the window and caught sight of a familiar bridge that we always pass on the way into Houston. That stretch over the 1097 bridge has become more than just a landmark to me. It’s my quiet signal that I’m almost home. In that moment, I felt a sense of comfort; of anticipation. Home was right there, just within reach. And I couldn’t help but smile.
Then I checked the flight map and realized we were landing in Corpus Christi, not Houston. Apparently, Houston had gone into a ground stop due to severe weather, and our flight was one of about 15 aircraft diverted to Corpus Christi.
The flight crew announced the plan, which was simple: Refuel. Wait for the ground stop to lift. Continue to Houston.
Two hours later we were still sitting there on the tarmac. Water in the cabin was running low. The sinks in the lavatories had run dry. Then came the heart-dropping announcement that the crew had timed out under FAA regulations. The flight would depart the next morning.
The cabin filled with groans and complaints began echoing through the rows.
Two passengers ahead of me decided to get into what I call a misery boat, where everyone complains together but nobody solves anything.
“Complaining doesn’t change the situation. Problem solving does.”
Time for Plan B
A few rows behind me sat PJ Leslie from Tekmetric. I looked back and called out, “Hey, PJ… want to rent a car and drive to Houston?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
When we deplaned, we split up.
I went to the rental counter where I had a confirmed reservation. Though I was in a really long line, I was still hopeful I would be granted wheels to get home. Overwhelmed, the agent shouted to the group. “If you are in line and do not have a reservation from earlier than today, we won’t rent a car to you.”
The crowd groaned again, but I was not deterred – I was determined to get home that night one way or the other. Sure, they refused to rent cars to anyone that night, even those with reservations, but we solve problems; we don’t focus on them.
I was glad we split up because PJ had gone to another rental company. The line he was in was pretty short, the desk agent was very efficient and five minutes later, he had secured a car.
Divide and conquer works.
The Road Home
PJ and I loaded up our luggage, put the car in drive and didn’t stop until we got to the Bush Intercontinental Airport in North Houston.
Three and a half hours later, we rolled into Houston. It was late, or perhaps I should say early: 1:30 AM.
Up until that point, PJ and I had only the opportunity to have short conversations while on the trade show floor, but situations like the one we were in had created an opportunity to spend some quality, uninterrupted time talking. During that drive, PJ and I had a fantastic conversation about family, travel, leadership, business growth and the future of the automotive repair industry. We talked about shop owners, technicians, training and opportunities ahead.
By the time I pulled into my driveway at 2:30 AM, I was exhausted. But I was also grateful, because experiences like that remind you what this industry is really about.
“Problem solving is the heartbeat of the automotive repair industry.”
The Real Takeaway
Over the course of a few days, I experienced incredible service, disappointing service unexpected obstacles and creative solutions.
But the biggest takeaway was the people. This industry is filled with incredible professionals.
David Wofford, Gil Anchondo, Mike Del A Cruz, Sarah Fraser, Bill Haas, Brian Walker, PJ Leslie – thank you for a memorable trade show. Relationships and friendships like ours are the glue that binds this great industry together.
This industry is built by countless shop owners and technical specialists who work every day to improve themselves and their businesses.
That’s the real reason we attend conferences like Vision. Not just for tools. Not just for training. But for the community that helps all of us grow. And sometimes… that community even helps get you home at 2:30 in the morning.
The last word
Stopping to reflect on the previous two days, I pondered those experiences. Yes, it was 2:30 in the morning, and I was tired, a little road-worn, but, honestly, grateful. I was grateful for safe travel, for great friends and for an industry built on people who solve problems.
Remember, that’s really what all of us do. Every day, shop owners, service advisors and technical specialists face challenges that weren’t part of the plan. Parts don’t arrive. Schedules change. Customers show up with unexpected problems. The best shops don’t complain about those moments: they diagnose them; they solve them; and they keep moving forward.
Sometimes the best leadership lessons don’t happen in a classroom or on the expo floor. Sometimes they happen on a diverted flight… and a long drive home across Texas.
If this article struck a chord, take a few minutes to slow down before moving on to the next task. Email Vic for your free” When the Plan Falls Apart… Leaders Step Up” worksheet.
Ready to grow? Join a Shop Owner Coach 20 Group and surround yourself with peers who help you reach new heights. Connect directly with Vic Tarasik, founder of Shop Owner Coach, helping independent shop owners achieve their dreams through proven business practices.
Vic owned and operated a successful shop in The Woodlands, TX, for over three decades. To book your complimentary coaching session or learn more about 20 Groups, or our coaching programs. Email [email protected] or visit www.ShopOwnerCoach.com.