“Your best thought could be a better thought. Your best idea could be a better idea. The greatest thing on your mind could be improved by a mastermind. When you bathe your ideas in the thoughts and opinions of others you take a great risk. However, allowing others to apply friction to your ideas is like putting a gem stone in a tumbler. The rough edges are rubbed off and what comes out is a whole different quality of stone. That’s what a genuine mastermind accomplishes.” J Loren Norris

“Mutually assured destruction is sometimes the only deterrent to tyranny. However, a leader willing to metaphorically apply the death star approach should be cautioned about the natural reaction of the poison pill, sabotage and revolt. Some team members will feel betrayed by authority and will inflict as much damage as possible before moving on. Good leaders are aware of this tension and the team members most likely to act.” J Loren Norris

”Contributing to society in a meaningful way delivers a sense of purpose to every human alive. The need to be a part of something bigger, grander, more significant than ourselves is a natural part of our existence. IMHO The cultural shift away from meaningful work, hard work and self sufficiency has marred the fabric of our American ethos…” J Loren Norris

“Instructions not properly translated are instructions not properly given. Not amount of emphatic articulation, passion or conviction in verbal delivery or instructions makes up the difference. SHOUTING via text or email will not more clearly convey unclear instructions. Leaders who fail to insure their expectations and instructions are clear, will be leaders who are just as frustrated as the people they lead.” J Loren Norris ​

”The immeasurable worth of deeply held and strongly rooted values is undeniable. Unfortunately such values and those who hold to them are becoming more rare every day. Leaders know their values are essential to leading with legacy. They also know their values are priced out of the market. They are worth more than any pay raise, vacation, career promotion, other social incentives or political pressure. In short, leaders who know their values cannot be bought.” J Loren Norris

”Life is too short to miss the moments which define us. Moments will come and go naturally. We will engage in most of them intuitively. To get the most of life, however, we must engage in every moment intentionally. Look for moments and even opportunities to create a moment. Make note, take photos, start a journal entry, but never let a moment slip by without savoring and recording it.” J Loren Norris

”Call it shading, facets, partial representation or any other name you like. Nuance is another word for conveying something other than the whole truth. Employees do it. Politicians do it. Toddlers do it. Attorneys do it. You have likely done it, I know I have. Good leaders understand the power and purpose of nuance all the while aware of its dangers. Be alert. Look closely, listen closer and always ask, what’s the whole, entire, complete truth.” J Loren Norris

”You are free to say whatever you feel compelled to say. You are not free from the consequences of the reactions your words inspire. As a leader, you must allow your team the right to speak freely. You must also help them to understand the consequences not only of what was actually said, but the thoughts, feelings and ideas which leads to such speech.” J Loren Norris

“Study the genuine article and not the litany of fakes if you want to get past the deception and get closer to the truth. Leaders who live and thrive on the glitz and glamor of the spotlight and not the transformation of their people, those are the counterfeit. Leaders who do the right thing when no one is looking and nothing is to be gained, those are the genuine article, study them, follow them.” J Loren Norris

“To be confused by language is nothing new. To misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue are all human reactions to complicated or emotionally charged conversations. Those who artfully misuse language are doing so with ill intent to confuse and manipulate. Leaders love language and the artful application of it to produce connection, clarity and consensus.” J Loren Norris

“Sometimes the action you see is not what you should be cautious about. It’s not the struggle getting the most attention, the fight turning all the heads, the chaos stopping traffic which is reshaping society. Like a good ‘fight promoter’ the real game is happening in the back room between the power players and power brokers and they really don’t care who survives the scuffle… as long as they remain in power by provoking the scuffle. If you only deal in power, you are a tyrant and not a leader.” J Loren Norris

“Most bullies are bullied themselves. Most people who are bullied live in fear, intimidation, frustration and often humiliation. Bullying behavior doesn’t stop in middle school or high school. The attitude of bullying is pervasive in big business, politics, world leaders and the modern versions of town square as carried out by mob rule. The antidote to bullying at every level is the same. Humility. Humility is generally discovered behind ample reply. Leadership demands that ample reply.” J Loren Norris

“Too many people waste time, talent, treasure and attention when they truly believe they are investing. If your investment turns on you and begins to decay in every area you thought it would return increase - it’s time to stop investing. If every $10 you spent with a specific organization gave $5 to someone preparing to do you harm how long would you keep giving them $10?” J Loren Norris

“If you find that people only want to hear your ideas when you scream them or force people to listen by ‘pulling rank’ as a leader, you need to reconsider both your ideas and your approach. Conversation should be a two way street of idea sharing and sharpening. One good test for good ideas would be to ask someone else to present them in your place. If the ideas are better accepted it’s not your ideas that are rejected it’s your communication style. Now you know what you need to fix.” J Loren Norris

​“If your scope of leadership influence does not extend beyond your four walls, you are wasting the tools you have worked so hard to acquire. Rendering help everywhere you can is an unwritten expectation of good humans. I don’t mean inserting yourself where you’re not wanted  or unwelcome but I do mean if you can help DO IT.” J Loren Norris

“My mentor John Maxwell says often ‘You’ve got to give up to go up!’ There is no level of leadership which does not demand sacrifice on the part of the leader. If you want more income, you’ll have to sacrifice time. If you want new strategic relationships, you must sacrifice long term unfruitful relationships. If you want to leave a legacy worthy of your successors you may well sacrifice your own happiness. A great leader must know the limits and be strong enough to resist the temptation to sacrifice core values for wealth and fame.” J Loren Norris

“Work ethic, professionalism, customer service, individual responsibility are all core values the American society was built upon. Sadly, these are not the driving values of today’s work force. These values are not just about earning a living, building a strong culture and the fabric of society. They are also the foundations of a healthy family and the freedom needed to sustain it. We need diligent leaders who are determined to pass these values like a baton to the next generation.” J Loren Norris

​“The power of a story or collection of stories (aka narrative) possess incredible value in the war for cultural understanding. From revisionist history, to future casting, from vision drafting to social engineering - stories are the wind which direct the sails in the journey through time. Leaders who are not effective storytellers may be great managers or administrators but they will not be legacy influencers.” J Loren Norris

“The keyboard warrior, mouse jockey, microphone mouth piece who cannot look you in the eye and have the same conversation they do online is not a leader but a coward, not an influencer but a manipulator. The art of communicating face to face requires a diligently applied skill set, much grace and patience. The best comedians, the legacy orators and the leaders who make the greatest impact are equally or more persuasive when face to face than when they are in front of the mic and camera in isolation.” J Loren Norris

“Just because you have the right to free speech or permission to speak freely does not mean you are required to speak. If your emotions, opinions, ideologies are not widely accepted or conducive to productive relationships silence may be the better option. As the old saying goes, it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” J Loren Norris

“There is no worst enemy than a good friend gone bad. They know all your deepest secrets. A good battle buddy has your six even when they know the truth about who you are. The best leaders learn quickly who they can trust and who to keep at arms length.” J Loren Norris

“The greatest feature of StoryPower is knowing the technique required to select the proper story to tell for the moment. The wrong story means the wrong illustration, the wrong analogy, the wrong emotional state, the wrong connection and the wrong connection. StoryPower MasterClass is all about teaching and demonstrating this art form of leadership communication development.” J Loren Norris

“Not everyone who has an opinion should have space in your head to live rent free. The heckler, the accuser, the loud mouth with nothing of value to add to the conversation should have no voice in your life. As a leader, people constantly want to give advice on how to do your job better. Not everyone is qualified for the assignment. Your job is to know who to listen to and who to ignore.” J Loren Norris

“Anyone can complain, whine or gripe. That is not the role of a good leader. A good leader goes further than realizing there is a problem and pointing it out. They will also identify the difference between the symptoms and the cause then also provide a recommended solution. Dale Carnegie says, ‘Never criticize, condemn or complain.’ Take the time to offer ways things could be done better!” J Loren Norris