Podcast 28: Leading with Grit and Heart Featuring Scott Rainey

Discover how a Marine Corps veteran turned service manager transformed a struggling team into a top performer through grit, trust, and hands-on leadership.

Hosted by Chris Heinz

How do you rebuild a broken team, earn their trust, and drive top performance—without ever raising your voice?

Listen to our conversation with Scott Rainey, a Marine Corps Veteran and Service Manager at CMA's Colonial Hyundai. He shares how his military training shaped his no-excuses, lead-by-example approach to leadership. With a natural blend of discipline, humility, and heart, Scott explains how he builds trust, fosters team collaboration, and earns influence through hard work and consistency. From fixing toilets to mentoring employees, his philosophy is simple: do the right thing, stay accountable, and never stop growing. Along the way, Scott offers insights on resilience, team buy-in, and the quiet strength of servant leadership.

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In this episode, we sit down with Scott Rainey, a Marine Corps veteran and seasoned service manager, whose leadership journey is a masterclass in turning around struggling teams with quiet determination and a deep commitment to people. Scott shares how he inherited a service department ranked near the bottom nationally and, through discipline, structure, and genuine care, led it into the top 200—a transformation built not on sweeping declarations but on steady, intentional leadership.

Scott’s leadership approach is rooted in his top talent themes identified through the CliftonStrengths assessment—restorative, responsibility, relater, achiever, and arranger. These strengths paint the picture of a leader who sees problems as solvable, takes ownership seriously, and builds meaningful, long-term relationships. What sets Scott apart is how he collaboratively uses these talents, consistently inviting his team to solve problems and make improvements together. His belief in never making the same mistake twice underscores a culture of learning, growth, and accountability.

Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels

Scott explains that in the Corps, everyone is a leader, and that same expectation carries over into how he runs his team today. No task is too small, no detail too insignificant. Whether fixing a toilet or picking up trash in the lot, Scott models the behavior he expects, reinforcing a culture of ownership and shared pride.

What also emerges is Scott’s deep commitment to friendship and loyalty. His decades-long friendships and annual gatherings speak to the kind of person he is—someone who builds and maintains strong bonds over time. That same relational integrity flows into his work, where he emphasizes trust, transparency, and open communication. His ability to blend personal connection with professional standards is part of what makes his leadership so compelling.

This episode offers practical insights for anyone looking to build a high-performing team, especially in challenging or turnaround situations. Scott reminds us that influence doesn’t require a loud voice but consistency, clarity, and commitment to doing the right thing. Whether you're a new manager or a seasoned leader, Scott’s story offers a powerful reminder that success begins with trust, and trust starts with how you show up every single day.