By the time Fletcher Lord III became the president and CEO of Crow-Burlingame and Parts Warehouse Inc., his ideology as a leader was already clear.

He's a people-first leader who invests in others as intentionally as his mentors once invested in him.

Colleagues and partners know him as the kind of executive who's always looking one move ahead, spotting the next superstar in his organization, and keeping everyone on the same path.

That mindset didn't appear overnight. He shaped it by watching his father lead the family business, by the steady guidance of industry figures, and by a willingness to be pushed outside his comfort zone.

One of the clearest examples came when those mentors insisted he attend Leadership 2.0, the weeklong University of the Aftermarket program at Northwood University he initially resisted—and that ultimately changed how he saw the industry and his place in it.

Mentors Who Mapped the Way

A few pivotal voices helped him get there—mentors who not only modeled what leadership could look like but also nudged him toward opportunities he never would have chased on his own.

"My mentors have helped me answer questions or pushed me to do things that I wasn't exactly comfortable with at the time," Lord says.

As the fourth member of his family to lead Crow-Burlingame, Lord considers his father one of his biggest mentors in the industry.

"I worked for him, under him, and watched what he did," Lord says.

He learned quickly that his father's influence extended far beyond their own company's walls.

"One of my first job experiences with him was at an industry event, where I walked into a cocktail party, and I was overwhelmed by how many people were in the room," Lord says. "My father laid out the room for me, and I was impressed by the number of people who wanted to talk to him."

That night showed Lord what leadership and respect looked like up close. It also wasn't the last time someone in the industry took him under their wing.

Another big mentor for him was John R. Washbish, the former CEO of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc.

"He's helped me tremendously," Lord says. "He's one of those who pushed me and looked out for me. I was blessed to have these people who helped guide the path a little bit when I didn't know I needed help or wasn't doing something the right way. They would pull me back quickly if I needed it, so it was nice to have that."

Those early influences didn't just shape how Lord showed up in the business. They also opened doors to growth opportunities like Leadership 2.0.

Training That Changed His Trajectory

Leadership 2.0 was an experience that forced Lord to zoom out. To see the industry as a larger beast and to make connections that would stick with him forever.

Leadership 2.0 is designed for automotive aftermarket industry professionals—including parts manufacturers, warehouse distributors, retailers, shop owners, service providers, and industry association leaders—looking to grow and expand their executive and management skills through advanced training.

"At first, I didn't really understand why I was being pushed to attend," Lord says. "I was in the industry working as a counter person at the time. Leadership 2.0 opened my eyes to the next level of the automotive industry. I went from a 5,000-foot view to 30,000 feet really quickly. But at the time, I was like, I don't want to go do more training."

Participants at the event attend sessions on emotional intelligence, financial literacy, strategic decision-making, adaptive leadership, organizational culture, team dynamics, and networking. These sessions are designed to help them become more effective leaders in an evolving automotive aftermarket landscape.

"Looking back—that was 15-17 years ago—I still run into people at AWDA or the Auto Care Association, and we have conversations about that event and who we met," Lord says. "It's a small little bubble that we're in, the automotive industry. Small moments like that mean more than you think at the time. So, you've got to let yourself get pushed a little bit by the people that have done it and experienced it before you."

Because Lord's time at Leadership 2.0 was so impactful, he now sends his own people to it.

"Over the past three years, we've sent four people to Leadership 2.0," Lord says. "I sent someone to the heavy-duty one two years before that. When they come back, we talk through what they learned, what connections they made, and pieces like that, and I've found it develops them into having another level of connections. It gives them the ability to reach outside of our replacement parts warehouse for help, and that's amazing to see."

Seeing how that experience broadened his own perspective, Lord has woven its core lesson into his leadership philosophy. That philosophy: invest in people, never stop investing in the next wave of people.

Building Up People

One of the biggest things Lord learned from his experiences in the industry is that success within the company is all about the people in your company.

"At Crow-Burlingame, we've got a great executive team, but we also must make sure we know the people in our company and what's going on," Lord says. "How are we building our teams underneath us?"

Lord believes effective leadership means staying involved with your team and constantly building the future of the company.

"In the grand scope, you're always trying to move forward, and so you need to know who the next superstar is that could be on that executive level," Lord said. "It's important to make sure we're shifting people around, that we're moving people up, and sometimes that's difficult. It might be too early, but you always got to be one chess piece ahead because everyone is going to retire."

"You always got to be one chess piece ahead because everyone is going to retire."

Lord also believes that staying one chess piece ahead of industry trends is just as important as the people.

"You need to look at what's evolved in the past," Lord says. "If you circle back to pre-COVID times, there's been a lot of change. The buzzword was EV at that time, and it is today. But it still circles back to when you have good people working for you, and you're all on the same page; everything is a lot easier. That's the most important thing for us. As long as we're working on the same projects together, and we're all tugging on the same rope, then we're doing the right thing."

The combination of mentorship, formal training, and day-to-day intentionality is what has helped Lord sustain a 100-year-old business.

"What's my biggest goal?" Lord says. "To do better. The company is always striving to do better, and I know we can do it because we have a strong team. We just have to make sure we stay ahead of the curve."

Whether he's encouraging someone to enroll in Leadership 2.0 or quietly observing who's ready for a bigger role, Lord is betting on his team and the people in the aftermarket industry.