When everything is on the line, it’s the coach’s job to lead a team to victory. All of the hard work and effort over the past couple of weeks, months, or even years all comes together to create a group of committed individuals ready to work hard and take home a win.

Life at a car dealership is similar. Instead of a coach, management takes up the torch, working with employees to create a successful team. For Alex Perdikis, managing partner at Koons of Silver Springs, coaching his team has resulted in big wins and public recognition. According to Perdikis, preparation is a key ingredient for any winning dealership.

Perdikis was no stranger to sports and hard work. He worked hard as a linebacker for the University of Richmond before succumbing to a spinal injury that kept him off the field. Despite being absent from the game for his senior year, he still walked away with lots of knowledge that propelled him to success in the future.

In the same way that athletes spend time practicing and improving their skills, employees at a dealership work together to improve their processes and offer customers the best experience possible. For Perdikis, being prepared means showing up to morning meetings with a game plan, discussing the best possible leads of the day and giving direction to everyone in attendance.

In reality, Perdikis took over a losing team. When he became managing partner in 2011, the dealership had only been acquired the year before and it was struggling. Sales were low and the profit margins were small. Today, the dealership sells almost twice as many cars as it did back in 2011.

Recently, Alex Perdikis Koons of Silver Springs was named Automotive News “40 Under 40.” Every year 40 individuals are honored for their achievements at various dealerships across the United States. He was honored because of the turnaround he headed up at the Koons’ Ford-Mazda dealership.

Since the transformation of the dealership, Perdikis has been seen as a leader in more ways than one. Aside from the dealership success he has engineered, he has also worked hard to become a business leader in the community. In April, he joined other Ford dealerships in recognizing the month as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In June, he finished up his work as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year fundraiser, bringing in $146,000 to help with research and treatments.

It isn’t just about coaching a group of individuals on how to handle car sales. Instead, Perdikis is working to become a coach that leads by example, balancing out his time between his family, work and the community around him. There is more to any coach than just winning. There is a bigger picture that needs to be considered. Whether helping to get the kids ready for school in the morning or enjoying a game of golf in the afternoon, Perdikis strives for excellence.