“If you lead, you are responsible for teaching. If you teach, you cannot help but lead because you influence people, and that is leadership. Just remember that the calling to teach and lead is a high calling with significant accountability and responsibility. Diversify your sources. Diversify your learning. Diversify your study. Make sure you teach from valid sources not just the one you were taught from.” J Loren Norris

‘Leaders who are not aware of the mix of people, talents, gifts, and personality quirks run the risk of destroying everything they have built. Certainly, diversity is important and opportunities should be equally available to all. However, the wrong person, in the wrong seat on the bus, is a tinder box for a raging fire. Its about more than education, history, and EOE standards. Its about the personalities involved and how they are best positioned for peace and productivity.” J Loren Norris ​

”The favorite tool of tyrants is fear. Fear creates unpredictability, insecurity, confusion and eventually submission. When people live in fear, they are easier to control, especially if you can convince them you have the only solution to defeat what they fear. This tactic has been used in families, religion and politics since the dawn of time. The real win exists when leaders employ stories of hope and victory as evidence of another solution.” J Loren Norris

​“A bully comes in many shapes and sizes. A bully will take your things, your rights, your freedoms, you will power, your joy and your pomace. A bully will often ‘gaslight you’ into believing you are the cause of the bullying, you deserve it, you made them do it. The only hope you have is that a bigger, meaner someone with goodness in them step in to defend you. If you are in danger of being bullied the most common advice is to ‘stand up’ to the bully and fight back. In leadership, don’t be a bully be a defender of those bullied.” J Loren Norris

“It’s more than just a win of the contest, the competition, the moment. Its a WIN for the discipline, the dedication, the devotion, the hard work, the sacrifice required to earn the win. Leaders must be bold enough to call out the best in those they lead. We all must be willing to sacrifice if we want to see the gains and growth required to win the biggest prizes, contracts, opportunities. Success is ALWAYS uphill. Strive harder knowing that your WIN inspires hope for others who are just about to quit!” J Loren Norris

“We all love to see the triumph of those who refuse to quit. The moment the ‘Golden Buzzer’ sounds for the singer who was scoffed at from the beginning brings a tear of laughter and victory for almost all who are watching. Sometimes a WIN for one person is not a WIN for someone else. As a leader, you must determine what a ‘golden buzzer’ would be for you. Is it simply getting on the stage by getting the job of your dreams? Is it finishing the book you’ve been writing for years, or is it only when that book is a best seller? You must decide, then intentionally focus your time and effort to get that buzzer!” J Loren Norris 

​“There is much more value in the diversity of thought than diversity of looks alone. Certainly, we need to see diverse expressions of culture, race, nationality and religious beliefs. We need less ‘thinking the same thoughts’ and more thinking freedom. Leaders need to remain open minded with regard to a person’s attributes and contributions without the assumption or prejudicial judgement based solely on looks.” J Loren Norris

“Leaders are involved in many significant conversations which can become vitriolic arguments. Great leaders avoid being sucked into the emotion of the argument and consistently seek to discuss the facts, the details and specifically the cause of the argument.  If you find yourself arguing at the end of the discussion and debating the most emotionally charged elements, put the brakes on and get back to the real elephant in the room. Get clarity on the real cause.” J Loren Norris

“Many people have the false impression that leadership always looks like the best dressed, wealthiest, most popular person touting their success. It does not! Leadership looks like someone willing to get the work done. Leadership looks like a person of influence engaging in the work and world of the causes they claim to support.” J Loren Norris

“When you meet a stranger and begin the process of getting to know each other, background stories are essential. These stories tell us of common ground, common interests, common experiences and common ideas. These stories also reveal significant differences in all of these areas. The power of your story to challenge the status quo and misunderstandings is profound. The stories of those you lead have the same power to open your mind and shift your perspective.” J Loren Norris

“In my own speaking and coaching business the Phoebus Cartel strategies apply. If you don’t value my research, education, advice, insight and wisdom enough to invest more than a cup of coffee, then you will likely get valid information like swing set parts which won’t likely fit together and function well. If you want the decoder ring, or build instructions, you will have to become a paying client. Once you buy in, the transformation you experience will be legacy worthy for generations.” J Loren Norris

“The reality of sources and resources being manipulated to control or promote a specific agenda deeply impacts the role of every leader. Research is essential to a leaders success. Accurate information and alignment of world views is critical to survival.” J Loren Norris

​“In sales we called it ‘selling from your own pocket’ but the issue in leadership would be ‘leading from your own worldview’. This is a double edged sword of problems and potential. If you, as a leader, possess a strong, diverse, well informed, core values based, tested and true worldview, then you bring much hope to those you influence. If you possess a tainted, victimhood, poor poor pitiful me worldview you will bring drama and baggage to those who depend on you. Learn to set aside your worldview or at least to consider the aspects of someone else’s before you attempt to lead them.” J Loren Norris

​“The idea of “private conversations” is officially a thing of the past. The truth is, every device you have is listening in to every form and incident of communication. Some of those listening do not have your best interest at heart. Some wish to steal your financial information, some wish to gain leverage or ransom worthy business data​, some wish to gain the ability to control or influence your decisions. Leaders must know the power and necessity of confidential, face to face, human to human conversation as well as possess the moxie to employ them diligently.” J Loren Norris

“Every team faces the threat of a natural predator. From political or industrial espionage, to the recruiting of top talent or the phishing for internal secrets, every tribe, flock, or family faces the real risk of attack. A keeper of sheep often employs a donkey who will bond with the sheep, acting as if they are family, warning of the imminent threat of predators and aggressively defending the team. Who is the “Jenny” on your team? Is it you?” J Loren Norris

“We have heard stories all of our lives which inform the way we think and feel about ourselves and others. ‘Big girls don’t cry.’ ‘Real men don’t cry.’ ‘Look how you made me feel.’ All of these comments and sentiments likely harken back to a moment in your life. The incident, the relationship, the emotional drama which surrounded the very moment are as fresh as if it happened yesterday. Leaders must be aware not only of their own stories, but of the stories of anyone on their team which influence the attitude of daily behavior.” J Loren Norris

“There are team mates who have an agenda other than the success of the team. These people often has strong skills, great talent, admirable results and an ego larger than life. These peoples also have one potential devastating reaction to their jealousy of playing a supporting role to your success: they would rather sink the ship than serve in any role other than ‘Captain’.” J Loren Norris

“Focus, proper light on the subject, good perspective are issues of practice and action equally important to photographers and leaders. Too close to the subject means focusing clearly will be near impossible. The wrong angle, the wrong distance, the wrong light and the wrong focus on the subject will lead to failure for both leaders and photographers.” J Loren Norris 

“Every leader who influences others must understand the limit to their influence. Sometimes its based on character flaws of the leader. Sometimes its the limited knowledge of the leader. Sometimes its the existing influences of longer held and valued relationships. What causes those you lead to gather together? Is it just work? Is it family? Is it another common interest? Don’t speak out of turn just because you are the ‘leader’ of certain circles, it could end your right to influence.” J Loren Norris

“The line has been blurred by nefarious means between fact and opinion. Many people who have studied the arts of conversation and persuasion have taken up the mantel of convincing those they influence to accept their opinions as facts. This is a dangerous form of control which has been employed for centuries of humans history and continues today. The difference today is the magnified effect through mass communication devices and technology. Note: we argue facts with evidence, we argue opinion with dissent.” J Loren Norris

“Leaders should be prompt to admit their errors and wrong answers. Leaders should be committed to the truth. Leaders should be extremely reluctant to speak, do, demonstrate anything they know to be inaccurate or untrue simply for their own gain of power and influence. People who lie well are not people who lead well.” J Loren Norris

“Nothing happening today in cultures, companies, and classrooms is a surprise if you know how to read the signs. “The philosophy of the classroom in this generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Abraham Lincoln The ideas which have been brooding in the kindergarten and colleges around the world have become the ideas of those who govern us. Leaders who cherish a nation which offers the greatest diversity, opportunity, equality and freedom in human history should speak up about true history.” J Loren Norris

“Whether a leader is the first voice to speak or the last voice of hope, it should be in the compassionate heart of the leader to listen up and speak up. Too many people are looking to self harm or even self destructive behavior because of stress, anxiety and self image who could have been helped if a leader (any person of influence in their life) had spoken a kind word. Learn to listen to the diverse languages of pain and fear, then speak the language of hope - that’s what your influence is for!” J Loren Norris

“Unless leaders learn to read people as frequently, accurately and consistently as they might read their favorite magazine or news paper they will fail to connect with those they lead. Communication is the most significant aspect of leadership because it is essential to influencing others. A leader who cannot communicate the way those they lead receive it best will find it hard to lead diverse groups.” J Loren Norris