KANSAS CITY, Mo. — NCM Associates and The Rawls Group, a provider of long-term strategic and succession planning, announced the launch of their new NCM-Rawls Dealer Executive Program, a 10-month leadership development curriculum on succession planning for dealers to gain the knowledge, tools and resources for long-term success.

The program incorporates management and behavioral science. Attendees will complete an individual assessment designed to identify their natural leadership style. The tool then serves as the cornerstone for faculty and students to develop deeper insight using each student’s natural communication style to build rapport and engage, foster buy-in, and lead those around them.

“Our experience confirms that manufacturers are implementing more stringent requirements regarding the attitude, knowledge, and experience of successor dealers,” says Loyd H. Rawls, CEO of The Rawls Group. “As succession planners dedicated to the totality of issues impacting continued prosperity of a dealership, we have been actively involved in all nuances influencing successor development and preparation.

“The Rawls Group is delight to combine the unequaled training and facilitation services of NCM with our firsthand experience coaching dealers and their prospective dealers.”

Once the student has a fuller understanding of their leadership style under the program, the focus shifts to dealership sustainability training. This is accomplished, according to the two firms, through interactive discussions and coaching around the real-life issues dealers and successors commonly face that limit the strategic growth and long-term sustainability of the business.

At the completion of the rigorous program, which will debut at this month’s NADA Convention & Expo in New Orleans (Booth No. 3937 for The Rawls Group and Booth No. 4931 for NCM), students will be prepared to not only guide their employees, but also lead their family’s legacy for years to come, according to the firms.

“Rapid changes in our industry, such as autonomous cars, ride-sharing companies and the electrification of vehicles, means we need to adopt new approaches to training and leadership to help our clients succeeed,” said Paul Faletti Jr, president and CEO of NCM Associates. “This new program does just that, leveraging the retail automotive expertise at NCM and The Rawls Group’s succession planning knowledge to ensure current and incoming dealer principals have the tools and skills needed to lead their dealerships into the future.”

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