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Thomsen LDR 621 13/FL

Darrell Norris Interview

Intro: I chose to interview Darrell Norris, Jackson Colleges Controller. I admire his leadership style, honesty, and appreciated the fact that he started as a student employee and worked his way up to a leadership position over the last 12 years.

1. Identify some key points in your life that led you to your leadership role(s). Darrell felt that leaders are born and not made, however he feels that, who a person is draws them to particular leadership positions. He also felt that the absence of a father growing up has made him a stronger leader, along with the fact that he has been instilled with a very strong work ethic. 2. Identify a professional challenge you have experienced in your work in dealing with team members. Darrell stated that the largest hurdles a leader must overcome is dealing with different personality types, and trying to maintain balance within the team. It is important as a leader to identify when the balance has been disturbed it is important to have the ability to open your team members back up, to insure an effective team.

3. Identify a personal highlight youve encountered somewhere in your professional life in leading team members. A personal highlight that Darrell has encountered is having his team step up during a time of adversity when the overall morale of the campus was low. He motivated his employees to step up and take initiative to get the job done with a great attitude.

4. Comment on a strength & weakness youve encountered over the years in leading various team members. Darrell feels that a strength he holds is the fact that he is very assertive, and avoids uncertainty by looking at the whole picture prior to making a decision. He felt that a weakness he holds is the fact that he has a big heart, which sometimes fights with his brain, however he takes a holistic approach with looking at the situation, that way he cannot be accused of playing favorites.

5. If someone you knew were seeking advice from you, what would you offer to them about the responsibilities that come with leading & leadership? Darrell stated that being in a position of leadership is both rewarding and demanding, and the longer a person is in a leadership role the more confident they are and the less they will second guess their decisions.

6. What have you as a graduate student gained from doing this interview? I took this opportunity to ask Darrell some questions regarding the proper way to say no. I know that often Darrell is asked by our President to make the impossible possible, and wanted to pick his brain to see how he tells the President no. Darrell informed me that first it is important to do all of your homework, and if something is impossible you need to have the data to back it up. He then informed me that it is crucial to not say no, but instead say here is what we can do I appreciated the fact that Darrell was very willing to share his institutional knowledge with me to help me grow not only as an employee, but as a student.