James R. Lucas Articles

Whole-Life Symmetry™: When Work-Life Balance Doesn't Work - Click To Read Article
We can try to be balanced—spending equal, predetermined amounts of time in each area of life—but still burn out if we have missed doing the right kinds of things at the right times. We don’t need balance; we need symmetry. In a symmetrical life, no component is more or less important than it should be, there is a correct proportion of the moving parts, and there is harmony.

USING THE POWER OF PASSION TO EXPLOIT TOUGH TIMES AND WIN NEW CUSTOMERS - Click To Read Article
There is one large business truth in traumatic times: Either you’re exploiting change, or change is exploiting you? The understandable norm in meltdown times is to hunker down. This can work only as long as customers are willing to cooperate and competitors are ready to follow suit, but it entirely misses the opportunity presented by the crisis, while also having an unfortunate effect on our teams' morale, passion, and commitment. This paper outlines 7 manageable business paradoxes organizations can practice to win. Organizations that do these can recapture the power of passion with their teams, use that passion to capitalize on the tough times and win new customers, and dramatically differentiate themselves from their competitors.

To Real Leadership, Alignment is Everything - Click To Read Article
It's easy to talk about change, because this makes us feel good. But it's hard to actually change, because changing is difficult and can make us feel bad. Great leadership finds a way to pull people together around a few great, unifying ideas that will allow them to go beyond surviving change, and creates an environment where change can be welcomed and exploited for the common good.

THE TABLE STAKES FOR GREAT LEADERSHIP - Click To Read Article
Learn the characteristics of truly great leaders.

Powersharing Trumps Empowerment - Click To Read Article
We want to win the hearts and minds of our people, but we don't want to stop there. We want them to do something with their hearts and minds, to use them to open new doors, to put them into action to help their Brothers and others who cross their paths. Powersharing. We can do it with our direct reports, our team members, and our organizations. Instead of doing something to them (empowerment) we can do something with them (powersharing).

Passion Trumps Engagement...And Annihilates Satisfaction - Click To Read Article
Employee satisfaction may not be a bad thing, but it could be a huge distraction from giving people what they really need at the core - to make a difference, to do valuable work, to count. And it could be a bad thing if it shrinks people's souls and the organization's performance. With regard to people, passion does indeed trump engagement. And it annihilates satisfaction. And really, everything else.

MANAGING THROUGH MELTDOWN: 12 Things You Must Do to Exploit Tough Times - Click To Read Article
What do great leaders do when there's a meltdown? They don't think about merely surviving, or even just thriving. They think about, they focus on, how to exploit those tough times. We're going into the heart of meltdown management. This is a no-baloney, hands-on, take-no-prisoners guide. Being tough is part of the equation, but you have to know how to be tough. With the right tools and toughness you can turn potential disaster into real wealth.

Managing Through the Power of Paradox - Click To Read Article
We thought things were better than they were. We were sure things would be better than they are. But here we are—in meltdown. We need to use the leadership paradoxes to win.

Light Employees’ Passion for Jobs - Click To Read Article
The door to positive and permanent change opens from the inside rather than being absorbed from the outside. Each of us has a purpose and a challenge, but we must uncover it to bring passion to the surface. Managers who ask workers what they “want” to do instead of what they “can” do are better equipped to put people in the right positions.

ILLUSION AND THE DEATH OF QUALITY - Click To Read Article
Illusion--the belief that things are different than they really are--may be the biggest of all barriers to organizational success, high productivity, and ever-increasing levels of excellence. They may be the most devastating of all organizational enemies, but they seldom get addressed in a meaningful way. This article discusses how to identify, expose and shred illusions that keep your organization from flourishing.

For Poor Results, Work Like Crazy - Click To Read Article
Here’s a really unintelligent idea: Work like crazy without a break for thirty to forty years so you can do . . . nothing for the next thirty to forty years. An effective time manager knows the importance of grouping similar activities together in one block of time—but this tip should be applied to days or weeks, not to forty-year spans. This article will discuss whole-life symmetry and why it's better than working like crazy and more effective than "work-life balance".

DON'T BECOME AN ENRON: Make Truth and Ethics Your Road to Success - Click To Read Article
So much has been written about Enron since the company imploded, and that will probably be so for years to come. But this essay isn’t about Enron. Rather, this essay is about your organization. Because the simple truth is, you too could grow up to be like Enron. The seeds might already be planted to make it so. Learn how to recognize and avoid Enronism and make truth and ethics your road to success.

Competing with Big(ger) Business - Click To Read Article
How do we compete with big business? Given the size advantage, how can we win? The first key is being the right size—right for your customers, right for your market positioning, right for accomplishing your vision, mission and strategy.

Anatomy of a Vision Statement - Click To Read Article
We can do many things well, but we can't do all things well. A carefully considered and articulated vision helps us know who we are and who we aren't, what we do successfully and what we don't, what we should take on and what we should gladly drop. The alternative - mindless meandering - is a sorry fate.


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