Leading Leaders Podcast by StoryPowerAcademy.com Studio with Host and Exectuive Coach J Loren Norris

AGILITY IS A KEY ASPECT OF LEADERSHIP DIRECTLY RELATED TO DEFERENCE “The ability to bob and weave so to speak with the movement of markets, manpower and manufacturing is a required skill of leaders. A great business plan is a well crafted game plan for sales strategy, marketing tactics, and hiring goals. Even the best prepared business plan is still subject to the Mike Tyson philosophy, ‘Everyone...

THINKING AND ACTING SYSTEMICALLY IS LEADERSHIP NOT MANAGEMENT “ What is the difference between systematically and systemically? In simplest terms, something described as systematic uses or follows a system, while something described as systemic is part of, or is embedded in, the system itself.(per Google) In other words, management is the application of systematic processes of thinking, controllin...

LEADERS WHO LACK SELF AWARENESS ARE LIKE RELATIONAL WRECKING BALLS “No one wants to believe they are selfish, self centered, self focused. We all know that one leader who simply does not see the challenges and struggles they create for others in their sphere of influence. When a leader is unable to see or acknowledge their own flaws, they become problematic, yet look for everyone else to change to...

COMMUNICATION IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF GREAT LEADERSHIP George Bernard Shaw said: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. I find that all levels of leadership hinge on the ability to transfer ideas, transforms behaviors and transmute productivity and none of these happen without effective communication. Too many people have a false sense...

INFLUENCE - BUILDING IT AND WIELDING IT “It amazes me what passes for influence in this generation. Even the label influencer has been hijacked for use in a purely commercially measurable way. Looking back on my life, some of my greatest influencers were known by less than a couple dozen people. Some of the influencers in my life are of world acclaim, both historical and present. Yet it would seem...

6 KEY SKILLS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN 2024 “Leadership requires many facets of competency and skill. Much of the nature of a leader is personality, character and integrity meaning it’s the inner person, the who that you are. Much of the role of a leader requires skills which must be developed, honed and regularly sharpened. John C Maxwell’s #1 Bestselling Book of all time on Leadership, touts 21...

STRATEGY IN THE HAND OF A LEADER BECOMES PROVABLE PRODUCTIVE ACTION “The chain of custody for WHY AND HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO looks like this: Vision > Mission > Strategy > Tactics > Goals > Objectives > Assignments > Tasks > Actions Taken > Performance Review. Managers consider and over see systems, processes and tools to ensure each level of this progression remains in ta...

HOW DOES A LEADER BUILD COMMITMENT IN A TEAM? “Loyalty in many circles is a thing of the past. There once was an expectation of working from apprentice to pension in one company or at least in one industry. The idea of living in the same house until it was paid off and the kids had gone off to college was also the norm. Having the same spouse, same friends, same social circle, that’s just the way...

HOW TO LEAD INCLUSIVELY - IS IT A TRICK QUESTION? “It is an observation as a leader that humans are emotive creatures. Humans desire affirmation, appreciation and acknowledgment. Leaders who practice these things, inherently practice what would truly fit the definition of inclusivity. The idea that leaders must look for anomalies, uniqueness of characters, outliers in thought or behavior to offer...

LEADERS MUST STEWARD CLARITY IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY “Lack of clarity leads to a lack of motivation, lack of inspiration, lack of direction and a lack of team cohesion. When a leader is unclear on the vision of an organization (whether unclear as to what it is or simply unclear in expressing it) the established goals to achieve the vision will be equally unclear. Unclear goals, undefinable goals a...

LEADERS MAINTAIN RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF COMPLEX PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY DO HARD THINGS “Leaders who tackle complex issues in business, relationships and their own personal growth must learn to become and remain resilient. The most important skill one must master as a resilient leader is the willingness and discipline to DO HARD THINGS. Make hard choices, take hard risks, build hardened attitudes,...

HOW LEADERS CREATE GENUINE CONNECTIONS “Building relationships requires commitment, intentionality and a great deal of compassion. Leaders who try to manage and manipulate the outcomes of every relationship for their own gain will find themselves very lonely at the top. Leaders who learn to nurture, encourage, promote and support those around them will become magnetic in their ever growing spheres...

HOW TO LEAD FROM THE MIDDLE “The way to the top as a leader can be a veritable mine field. One wrong move, one unacceptable comment, one failed relationship and you’re cancelled. The ability to be promoted, advanced, recognized or even accepted could come to an abrupt halt. In many large companies and institutions the culture has become simply toxic. There are programs, departments, alphabet initi...

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SERIES - BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR TEAM “IMHO - As well as my 35 plus years of leadership in varying capacities there is one tool for leadership development which goes largely under utilized. When deployed, this tool raises morale, inspires action, motivates teams and incentivizes productive attitudes leading to productive behaviors. If you want to know what this one too...

LEADERS MUST GUARD THEIR WORDS AS DILIGENTLY AS THEIR INNER CIRCLE “The value of a re-quotable quote is exponential in the economy of marketing. Quotes, sound bites, memorable ideas are like social media memes, easy to recall, recount and regurgitate. The more a leader is quoted, the more social clout they may garner. The more social clout, the greater the influence (as measure by attention and vo...

Special Edition: Leadership Interview with STRESS & BURNOUT COACH Anna Zschuppe High achieving performers and leaders face significantly different types, levels and volumes of stress. Faith is a great tool for coping with those elements and incidences of life. Also specific strategies, tactics and processes help with massive amounts of stress regardless the cause or source of the anxiety. Dive...

LEADERSHIP, THE ECLIPSE AND OTHER TYRANNICAL DISTRACTIONS “I don’t want for a single moment to underestimate the magnitude of the ‘once in a lifetime’ event known as a total solar eclipse. Nor do I want to make light of a personal tragedy, an economically life changing event, or a global crisis such as wars and famines. However, these are generally speaking everyday events which demand attention t...

A LEADERS VALUE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PROBLEMS THEY SOLVE “Regardless the salary offered, the size of the team, the annual revenues, the value of an executive leader is found in their skill level at solving problems. From Lea Iacocca to Jack Welch, from JFK to Ronald Regan some of the greatest leaders in history have a reputation based on the challenges presented to them as they took the helm...

LEADERSHIP DEMANDS THE FACTS BE RESEARCHED, DETERMINED, CONSIDERED AND APPLIED “Facts and issues are not the same. Facts and emotions are not the same. Facts and opinions are not the same. Facts are not friendly, biased or selective. Facts are often misused, disguised, hidden, misrepresented and even lied about. Facts are sometimes hard to discover and hard to come to terms. However, leaders are r...

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH WHO “Build a better mousetrap used to be the core belief of capitalism and entrepreneurship. In more recent years, Speed to market became the mantra. Not just is it better, but will it be available sooner? Next came the digital age, marketing and promotion changed in nature, cost and efficiency. Then the Information Age, when knowledge became the hottest...

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - SEASONS OF CHANGE CHALLENGE CHARACTER “Few things pull on the fibers of a leaders character than change which lies outside their control. Economic change, global political change, personal changes we did not choose are all contending for energy, attention, focus and finances. Strong leaders will return to their core values in these times to find their grounding and consist...

STORYPOWER COACHING - LIVE IN STUDIO WITH AMY VARLEY “Stories are for business, for sales, for personal growth, for leadership development and for public speaking. The need for multiple stories on every topic on speaks on is undeniable. The skill set needed to identify and curate stories is invaluable. In this episode we will discuss and demonstrate that story mining and story crafting process.” W...

BALANCE TEACHING WITH STORY WHEN DEPLOYING STORYPOWER AS A TEACHING TOOL “The desire to convey information, shape ideas, transform the quality of another’s life and circumstance generally drive the compunction to take the mic, ascend the platform, write the book or stand in front of the camera. Simply said, speakers speaker, writers write to convey life changing ideas. Stories are the best carries...

STORYPOWER COACHING - I CAN TELL YOUR STORY EXERCISE FROM WAY BACK WHEN “The practice of StoryPower storytelling is formulaic. Once the principles are established the process is duplicatable. Telling someone else’s story back for them is possible because their formula is consistent and what changes are the elements of each persons history or experience. Watch this clip to see the StoryPower formul...

STORYPOWER REQUIRES EFFECTIVE PRACTICE TO MASTER THE ART FORM “Practice does not make perfect, but it will make permanent. If a speaker, leader, trainer picks up bad habits in their communication style the odds are these habits will stick with them for a while. Practicing the dexterity of vocabulary, enunciation and intonation are critical skills for effective communication. Adding pauses, emotion...