Episode 33: Still Here. Still Serving.

In Episode 33 of the Faces of Leadership Podcast, host Michael Warren sits down with retired Norton, Virginia, Police Chief James Lane for a powerful conversation about the realities of law enforcement, the importance of training, and the resilience required to overcome life-changing adversity.

After 30 years in law enforcement, including serving as chief of police since 2014, Lane's career changed dramatically on May 7, 2021.

While assisting an officer on a shoplifting call, Lane was ambushed and shot five times. What followed was a fight for survival in which years of training, split-second decisions, and determination played critical roles.

Chief Lane shares his firsthand account of the shooting, the years of rehabilitation that followed, and why he ultimately chose to return to serving the community he loved.

In This Episode:

• Leadership at Every Rank: Lessons from 30 years of policing, from patrol officer to chief.

• Community Relationships: Why trust and meaningful connections must be built before they're needed.

• The Fight for Survival: A firsthand account of the shooting and the decisions that helped Lane survive.

• Training That Matters: How lessons learned decades earlier became critical during a life-threatening encounter.

• Recovery and Resilience: The physical and emotional challenges of recovery and the determination to return to service.

• A Continuing Mission: Chief Lane's work with the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Academy and his vision for Bibles for First Responders.

This episode is a reminder that training can save lives, relationships can sustain us through adversity, and leadership is ultimately measured by our willingness to serve others.

Watch Episode 33 and hear Chief Lane's remarkable story.‍

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