Norman Coulter Jr. is a public speaker, author, transformation strategist, and self-leadership consultant. Known for his reliable and efficient coaching, he has built a reputation for providing human-centered solutions that start with Leading Self FIRST!

From the United Kingdom to South America and the Asian South Pacific, Norman has helped scores of people harness their own self-leadership capacity. His ability to diffuse conflict and identify divisive barriers has empowered individuals and the organizations they serve. What began in the realms of athletics and education has become a universally applicable method. Norman creates unique transformation approaches for individuals and organizational culture. 

In the spirit of his journalistic roots, Norman most recently released the leadership memoir Bloods, Crips, & Starship: How I Learned to Lead Self in a Black and White Country. His signature, transparent style invites audiences to examine what they control and how to activate the truest version of themselves. Whether speaking, writing, or consulting, he embraces the task of harmonizing people and organizations in conflict toward their shared beliefs. 

A former competitive basketball player and son of a single mother, Norman spent most of his formative years in Inglewood and South Central Los Angeles, California where he encountered a host of tragic losses and unforeseen opportunities. In a world of pivots and unpredictability, Norman holds to the motto that “Leading self before everything else is the most mandatory endeavor of a person’s life.”

“Leading self before everything else is the most mandatory endeavor of a person’s life.”

Bloods, Crips & starship

What Led me to Lead Self First?

Authentic Leadership of self and others begins with how we respond to agitation in life. Team sports, tokenism in school and workplaces, and divorce provided the storms but my reactions revealed my fears, insecurities, and hidden capacities for influence.

After competitive basketball was done, I began to see that leadership starts with the principles that govern our individual lives. There is a certain acknowledgment, acceptance, and intentional response that leads to one’s actions aligning with his or her beliefs. It became clear that if I suppressed vulnerability, ignored obstacles, stored anger, and diminished my self-worth I could only lead others from a place of brokenness. But leading the self and others requires a confrontation with truth. Though these principles often seem inconvenient, they ultimately lead to victory.

Why an individualized approach?

Organizations and individuals are currently being SABOTAGED, without knowing it, by toxic relationships and unhealthy misconceptions of self and others.  As a result, authentic leadership has become a key factor in facilitating positive performance. I’ve created a leadership coaching program to help transform organizations by teaching members to face these realities and bravely submit to truths that lead to breakthroughs.