I help experts and decision-makers become trusted authorities
John Morrey Collins MA, SHRM-SCP
Authoritative Leadership & Expertise Coach
You are an authority, a leader or professional who affects the quality of people's lives. You work in a consequential occupation where high levels of expertise and collaboration are needed to perform under pressure.
You are entrusted with great responsibility because someone believes you have the integrity to handle it. You want to be a trustworthy steward of your power and influence. Expectations are high and so are the stakes.
My name is John Collins, and I am your coach.
The Centennial Olympic Park bombing occurred after midnight on July 27, 1996, during the Atlanta Summer Olympics, killing Alice Hawthorne and injuring more than 100 others. It was the first of four attacks carried out by Eric Rudolph over the following eighteen months, including the January 1998 bombing of a Birmingham, Alabama women's clinic that killed off-duty police officer Robert Sanderson and severely injured nurse Emily Lyons.
Thirty Years Later: Remembering What the Atlanta Bombings Took, and What They Taught
Reflections on ‘Innocence After Guilt’ and the Role of Forensic Evidence in Overturned Convictions
Feature Story By John M. Collins
“Forensic evidence, when properly developed and interpreted, is accurate the vast majority of the time. That was a point I wanted to make clearly in the episode, because it is sometimes lost in public discussion of wrongful convictions. The deeper issue is not usually the science itself but how that science is communicated to a jury of laypeople who are being asked to weigh technical evidence against the liberty of another human being. ”
A High-Responsibility Moment in Public Safety
The changes are happening right before our eyes, and right under our feet. For better or worse, the American criminal justice system is slowly evolving away from the traditional retributive (punishment-based) model and toward a rehabilitative (treatment-based) one. The pace of this evolution is almost imperceptible, but it’s happening. There will be significant policy and leadership implications with the changes our children and grandchildren will witness, but questions remain about how smart and effective these shifts in priority will be. They can indeed work, but they must be led by serious people with serious intentions.
Read an expert from the epilogue of my latest book, Valid Comparisons, to gain a sense of what’s coming and why it will matter to all of us.
New!
Interview with CBS Detroit journalist about the rape kit crisis plaguing the city of Detroit and the plans in place to provide the necessary forensic testing (~2011)
My Books
Training and Coaching
I’m trained and experienced as an executive leadership coach, and I have two important certifications that are relevant to my work. I am a certified Senior HR Professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society for Human Resource Management, and also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. In my coaching practice, I utilize the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment, as well as the Big Five assessment of personality dimensions. My clients originate from high-responsibility, high-expertise occupations, with an emphasis on forensic science, policing, and law practice.
I also teach high-quality, best-in-class workshops in leadership, leadership preparation, professional ethics, expert witnessing, and public-sector administration and employment.
The name of my practice is Critical Victories. For more information, please click the button below to learn more. You can also find me on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Assertiveness and Conflict Training
Confidence is an inner peace, a trust in oneself born from a sense of being prepared for whatever situations or personalities you may encounter along the way. It's hard to be assertive without confidence, but when you have the right skills, the right attitude, and are sufficiently prepared, you can SHOW UP STRONG whenever the moment requires it.
Assertiveness, unfortunately, is often confused with dominance - or even arrogance. In fact, assertive individuals are the most effective when they create the conditions for others to be assertive as well.
What can you expect in this course?
Regardless of what situations or personalities you face in your life and career, there is great news: You can SHOW UP STRONG all the time.
This course will help you build and grow an authoritative, respected, and confident presence that allows you to maximize the positive impact you have on the many people and situations you encounter in your strategic environment.
DETAILS
Here's a quick peek at our program features:
An online, on-demand learning experience
Approximately 9 hours of high-quality content and exercises
High-impact, self-paced, and easy to follow
Downloadable Student Learning Manual
Recorded lectures and conversations
Growth-driven exercises and assignments
Implementable strategies and solutions
Final certificate of completion
LEARNING OUTCOMES
As a participant of our program, you will experience remarkable gains in your potential and capacity to:
Sound, look, and act like someone worth listening to
Deal effectively with the most difficult people
Remain relaxed and poised under pressure
Recover quickly when things don’t go your way
Stop beating yourself up over past embarrassments
Engage effectively in conflict and disagreements
Understand the natural traits that drive human behavior
Resist the lure of arrogant or dominant behaviors
TOPICS COVERED
We cover the following topics in SHOW UP STRONG:
Being prepared for anything and anyone
Evaluating your authoritative presence
Overcoming threats to your credibility
The art of assertive thinking
The 34 themes of human talent and strength
The 4 leadership domains (styles of influence)
The 5 dimensions of human personality
Elements of an authoritative presence
Coping with difficult people
Arrogance and narcissism
Criticism, chaos, and control
Verbal and physical expression strategies
Effective conflict engagement techniques
Building and refining your expertise
Earning trust as a thought-leader
Embracing pushback and skepticism
Keeping your expectations reasonable
Reflexive dominance and subordination
Chronic shame
The power of poise
TIME COMMITMENT
This online, self-paced program is designed to accommodate the most demanding of schedules. Participants should expect to commit approximately 9 hours, which can be flexed according to each participant’s needs.
GROUPS AND TEAMS
Individual students can purchase and enroll in our course at any time; however, we have options for groups or teams wishing to purchase access for multiple individuals. Please ask us about discounts for students and public safety professionals.