Praise for The Passionate Organization

“Passion is the lifeblood of organizations. Passion is what differentiates great companies from mediocre ones. In an enlightening way, Jim Lucas demonstrates the competitive advantages of leaders that recognize the role of emotions in organizations.” – Manfred Kets de Vries, Raoul de Vitry d’Avaucourt Professor of Human Resource Management and Clinical Professor Management & Leadership, INSEAD, France, and author of Leaders, Fools, and Imposters

“In the race for sustainable success, it’s simple: passion wins! Lucas shares how to smash through the walls of corporate complacency to create an energetic and spirit-filled workplace. [This book] transcends the skin-deep, quick fix pabulum so prominent in management today to uncover how to build and sustain bone-deep, long-term organizational passion! Powerful, pragmatic, and (yes) passionate. Embrace this book, drive its principles deep into your organization, or risk becoming dull, boring, and obsolete.” – Jim Harris, Ph.D., Author of Getting Employees to Fall in Love with Your Company, Coauthor of Finding & Keeping Great Employees

“Jim Lucas has identified a missing link to organizational success: passion. He provides us with a solid rationale for why passion is important, and a practical blueprint for instilling it in our organizations.” – Oren Harari, Author of Leapfrogging the Competition and Jumping the Curve

“In the face of nonstop newness and constant changes, Lucas…instructs readers on how to find and inspire passionate employees who focus on diversity, originality, and feistiness. These workers must also share deeply held core values, mutual trust, and a common vision…This unique and thought-provoking book walks a fine line, daring to be spiritual while not treading on employees’ religious beliefs. Lucas really believes that ‘the game is people and the formula for winning it is involvement.’ Recommended.” – Susan C. Awe, Library Journal

“Jim Lucas abandons the boring, traditional mumbo-jumbo of ‘empowerment’ and ‘ownership’ and leads us to the unexpected, irrational, secret shortcut to fire-in-the-belly, evangelistic, workplace joy – being a Southerner I wanted to shout ‘Amen, Brother Jim!’” – Annette Simmons, Author of Territorial Games and A Safe Place for Dangerous Truths

“Jim Lucas delivers a powerful message. We must forget about trying to light fires under people. It is the fire in them that is critical to the success, even the survival of today’s organization. Lucas provides us with the game plan to discover, ignite, and nurture that fiery core called passion.” – John G. Hughes, Jr., President, Creative Leadership Strategies

“Passion is a quality all too often evoked rather than defined. Not so here! With insight, force, and clarity, Jim Lucas reveals great lessons for winning in today’s competitive global marketplace. There is timeless genius within the pages of this book.” – R. Michael Mahoney, President, Manufacturing Decision Analysis, LLC

“Passion is the critical link between great ideas and great accomplishments. It is the ‘x-factor’ that results in the sum of strategy and execution being greater than the parts. Mr. Lucas examines in depth what most business books consistently ignore. Bravo!!” – Terry L. Lay, President, Lee Apparel (A Division of VF Corporation)

“Most of us have formulated a vision for our organization’s direction and destination. Few have really mastered the art of ‘igniting the fire of employee commitment.’ Lucas provides one of the best ‘how to’ books on building a passionate organization that I have ever seen.” – M. Terry Turner, President, First American Investment Services Group

“At a time when our leaders are transforming themselves and their organizations into knowledge workers and learning organizations, let us not forget what makes both great: passion. Lucas brings us to the core of success and its necessity.” – Philip V. Lewis, Ed. D., Dean, School of Business Administration, Oklahoma Christian University, Author of Transformational Leadership

“Strategy is not just a technical subject. For organizations to succeed over the long term they need to harness the energy that comes from feelings and passion. This book is a powerful plea for more passion, as well as a perceptive analysis of where, and how, this often illusive factor arises. It goes to the heart of the organization. Essential reading for all CEOs and anyone aspiring to a leadership role.” – Dr. Bruce Lloyd, Principal Lecturer in Strategy, South Bank University, London, Review Editor of Long Range Planning Journal

“The Passionate Organization is indescribably, extraordinarily, stupendously good . . . I just could not put it down . . . I am so excited about the possibility of implementing the things I’ve learned from your book . . . Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.” – Elzia Leggs, Training Specialist, Transportation Industry

“Lucas acknowledges what is critically true: ‘The future is not a given. It isn’t predetermined. It will be what we and many other people make of it.’ That’s what singles out this book as a top-read this year: it isn’t what you, alone, think or feel about your company that will make the difference tomorrow. It’s what you can do to get an organization full of others to think and feel positively. Will they be passionate about your business? If not, what’s the chance your customers will be passionate? Not much. On this simple thought, Lucas has crafted a deep and worthy management agenda.” – Tom Brown in Management General, Nominating The Passionate Organization for “Best Book of the Year”