Editor’s Note: In of Part 1 of this series, “2 Time-Proven Traits for Human Capital Success from 2026 Dealership Minds Summit Presenter,” we summarized 2026 Dealership Minds Summit presenter Bryan Arzani, who is giving both a small-group workshop presentation and a general session at the 12th annual event in Springfield, Ill.

In part 2 below, Mike and Drew Lessiter describe their company’s practical experience with the tools since being exposed to them last winter, and why Arzani was hired to deliver a special small-group workshop to equipment dealers navigating similar challenges. The workshop was made possible by NAEDA’s support.

For about a year, I’ve been hearing about a guy named Bryan Arzani from a friend and colleague, Mike Elton of Advantage+, an equipment finance company based a few miles away from us in Brookfield, Wis. Arzani, vice president and co-founder of Results Group, became an integral part of the Advantage+ team, which relies heavily on its Innermetrix tools. So much so that Elton’s firm requires ALL job applicants to participate in Arzani’s assessment tools to see if they were suited for specific positions.

Elton and I trade a lot of bar tabs (and even some legitimate business ideas) on our second-generation family businesses, the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) business framework we both embrace, and a variety of management, leadership and sales matters, as well as the trials and valleys of operating a niche family-owned business in 2026.

As Lessiter Media (LM) underwent some growing pains this past year, Elton offered up my use of the tools he’s licensing from Arzani. I’ve enjoyed the exercise of looking in the mirror, having taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment on 3 occasions (unchanged over 15 years apart), and later the DiSC (Dominance, influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness). 

(Interesting note: a supplier of ours once insisted our leadership team each take the MBTI to see if we were the type of business they wanted to partner with — we passed the test…)

All of our team has taken the MBTI, so we know each other’s psychological preferences across the 4 spectrums. When we’re operating at our best, we brush our assessments off and examine the acronyms of our colleagues to know how to best communicate and get things going. 

I wasn’t thinking I needed yet another assessment tool to understand, but curiosity prompted me to give it a go. It’s different from the others and is explained thoroughly in a 70-page post assessment report. 

After receiving my results, Arzani commentary also led to a conversation about my son, Drew, an up-and-comer at LM who was preparing for long-term deployment with the U.S. Army Reserves.

Meet Bryan Arzani

Unlike some other “consultants,” the rural-Iowan Arzani is a straight-talking, fast-paced, no-BS type of guy. “Raw honesty” was how another one put it. Those of you attending the Dealership Minds Summit will learn what I mean. He told me he was kind of a redneck who ended up in psychology. His personality could easily profile as the best wrench-turner in your shop — a smart-guy who wants to talk straight and “get on with it” — and to do so now.

Those of you in Springfield, Ill., will hear more of Arzani’s story and background, but today he owns and operates the assessment tools and licenses them out to consultants across North America and trains them on how to use the assessments to get the very best out of already good people. 

From Drew’s Vantage Point

The rest of the story will be told through Drew, a former accounting major who started in events and began to see success in sales as we rounded out his first years at our company. Just as he and the leadership team were pondering where the fast-rising 25-year-old would best fit in future plans, he got his deployment orders.

Arzani, who also has sons in the military, suggested Drew take the assessment too. And then, one week before deployment in May, he zoomed in with Drew and I to review his analysis and to gut-check Drew and offer observations on what he might keep his mind focused on during the long days and nights of his deployment.

Last night, I was able to reach Drew at his base about what he got out of the assessment and the answers to his questions by Arzani, just as those of you attending his workshop will see.

From what I saw, Drew became aware that leadership is leadership, and it doesn’t matter that his personality code is “written differently” than the way his dad, grandfather or bosses found success. Drew agreed with the definitions of his style values and traits, and confirmed that some of the internal forces he was wrestling with were in part due to a surprise of the 11-month deployment at the end of Reservist’s contract.

Arzani asked about the paths ahead, confirmed why his strengths suit the role, and addressed where he’d also need to gain real-world experience in what he doesn’t yet know. (Arzani referred to it as “getting his teeth kicked in for 9-12 months,” as I recall.)

Key Takeaways from Drew

Although Drew won’t be present in Springfield due to his deployment, he shared what he learned about the process and what are now another item for his management toolkit. And, what he expects the equipment dealers he’s met will gain by attending the workshop.

• “You learn the hows and whys behinds yours and others' decisiveness, interactions and caution levels.”

• “You learn what your value system is shifted toward, and the root of your motivations. It helps see what is most important to you that aren’t always readily evident and how these tendencies shape your decision making and thought processes.”

• “I learned things about myself — particularly where scoring is clearest and also values in regard to altruism and political leanings, which have different meanings in these assessments. Also to see the external and internal balances.”

• “I better understand how others see me, and how others are also different from me and operate differently.”

• “I gained confidence in where I’m headed with the company and that it’s something that makes sense for me.”

• “It’s also possible you might learn that a role might not be the best fit when personal interests don’t align. If there’s any doubt at all, this would be a good tool to recognize it and address or validate those concerns; to make sure you and others are getting onto the right seat on the bus.”

Finally, Drew also said that if you have your candidates — whether internal or external — take this assessment, you can minimize risk and protect against a bad hire or bad placement of someone in a role that will drain them.  

We’ve since used the tool to peel back the onion on candidates and recognized a not-so-obvious situation that we could effectively reposition a role toward.

Register today to save your spot at the workshop.

Related Content

Part 1: 2 Time-Proven Traits for Human Capital Success from 2026 Dealership Minds Summit Presenter

Video Description of Pre-Summit Workshop

General Session: How to Unlock the Power of Critical Thinking in Equipment Dealerships

Courageous Crossroads … From Basement Meetings to Boardrooms: Bryan Arzani on Real Courage