Recently, I came across a story that truly stopped me in my tracks. It was one of those moments where you scroll past dozens of forgettable memes or updates, and then something jumps out—a story with a message that hits close to home.

This one was about World War II combat aircraft, but more importantly, it was about how easily we, as business owners, can miss the real problem if we’re only focused on what we can see.

During World War II, the military was analyzing battle damage, including flak and bullet holes on planes returning from combat to determine where to reinforce the aircraft. The red dots on the data chart showed that most bullet holes were in the wings, fuselage, and tail. Logically, the military initially planned to add more armour to these spots.

Different view

Enter Abraham Wald, a statistician who had a very different take. He explained that these bullet-ridden planes that had survived the mission had been hit in areas where most bullet holes were not fatal.

Instead, the planes that didn’t make it back had likely been hit in areas such as the cockpit or the engine—These were areas with very few recorded bullet holes on the aircraft that did return back to base. His recommendation? Reinforce the places that showed no damage because those were the true weak points.

This story illustrates a powerful lesson about survivorship bias—a term which means that often, we only focus on the things that made it through a process, and ignore what didn’t. It’s a lesson that applies just as much to auto repair as it does to wartime military strategy.

Focus on what’s visible

In our industry, it’s easy to get caught up in surface-level metrics. Hours billed, cars repaired, tickets closed—those are our bullet holes. They’re important, but they don’t always tell the whole story.

Let’s say your shop is running slow. You panic, increase marketing spend, and launch some flashy promotions. But nothing changes. Maybe it’s not your marketing. Maybe the customer experience is the issue. For example are your service writers welcoming? Are your digital inspections being used properly? If you’re only looking at what’s visible, like traffic and calls, just like those World War II military strategists, you’re reinforcing the wrong parts of the aircraft.

Staff turnover

Here’s another scenario: a top technician leaves your shop. You immediately post the job, call recruiters, and start offering sign-on bonuses. But what if the issue isn’t the vacancy itself? What if the technician left because they didn’t feel heard, didn’t get support, or were overwhelmed?

Rather than rush to patch the hole, take a look at your systems. Are you checking in regularly? Do you have structured onboarding? Have you asked your existing staff how they’re doing lately?

Unseen metrics

When was the last time you tracked technician morale? Or measured the quality of a customer conversation? These are harder things to quantify, but they’re the equivalent of the cockpit and engine. When they’re damaged, your shop doesn’t come back from the mission.

Here at Urban Automotive, we’ve learned that some of the most important things—like mentorship, team dynamics, and client trust—can’t be pulled from a spreadsheet. We track them through conversations, feedback loops, and one-on-one check-ins. Our bay checks with both mentors and apprentices help uncover issues early. It’s our way of looking beyond the bullet holes.

What are you not seeing?

Ask yourself: Where are you reinforcing what’s visible, but ignoring what’s fatal?

• Are your comebacks quietly increasing while you’re celebrating quick turnaround times?

• Are newer techs struggling while you’re fixated on your senior team’s efficiency?

• Is your front counter undertrained while you’re obsessing over car count?

These blind spots are where the real danger lies.

What you can do right now

Start small. List the areas of your business you don’t currently measure or hear much about. Choose one and create a new system to gather that feedback.

Call three customers post-service and ask about their experience. Sit down with a technician and ask what’s making their job harder. Spend 10 minutes watching how your front counter handles check-ins.

These actions might not show up on a chart. But they’ll help you reinforce the right parts of your operation.

Final thought

The Facebook post that sparked all this was simple, but its message is powerful. As leaders, we need to recognize when we’re chasing noise instead of substance. We need to stop patching wings and start protecting our cockpits.

So, next time you’re tempted to fix what’s easy to see, take a step back. Ask what you’re not seeing—and then have the courage to go there. Because in our industry, just like in the skies of World War II, it’s not the damage you see that’ll take you down. It’s the damage you ignore.

Bio: Mike Urban owns and operates Urban Automotive, in Oakville, Ontario. You can reach him at [email protected]