Roy Group News

Critical Traction In Culture

Leadership development is an investment—and you want to trust that your investment will pay dividends. Knowing that decision-makers are actively engaged in researching their options, Roy Group is producing a series of case studies to share our clients’ experiences of working with us. The case studies highlight organizations in all four of our verticals. Here is the story of our journey with Fountain Tire.


Fountain Tire is one of Canada’s strongest national chains, with $650 million in annual revenues and 160 store locations across the country. But this is not your average corporation. Each of those 160 stores shares joint ownership: 50% by Fountain Tire, and 50% by the local store owner. On top of that, each store, embedded in its own community and geography, has its own niche in its community.

When Fountain Tire retained Roy Group in 2005, it was with the hope of somehow developing a way to honour and articulate its unique 50/50 business model, and to get everyone working inside the organization showing up as their finest selves. Below, you’ll find some of the highlights from our case study with Fountain Tire.

The goals

  • Evolving leadership within an intentional business model based on partnership
  • Creating a shared language and operating system for leadership conversations
  • Shifting from directive leadership to a coaching approach, where leadership is invited from all levels of the organization

The approach

  • Senior leadership immersion in The Leader’s Discipline™
  • CEO immersion in Opportunity in Conflict™
  • Headquarters management immersion in The Leader’s Discipline™
  • In-house delivery of tools for creating a feedback-rich culture
  • Annual opening of Fountain Tire’s three-week DRIVE training sessions with new store owners

The results

  • Shifted a patronage-based culture to a performance-based culture
  • Honest, respectful conversations supported by a framework for giving succinct feedback
  • Stores perform better because partners have simple tools to keep their teams connected, engaged and empowered

Read the case study