DSF: Where did you grow up?
JL: I was born in St. Louis, MO in 1950 and grew up in the area. For high school, I attended St. Louis University High School. In 1968, I enrolled at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) for college.
DSF: Why did you choose UMR?
JL: There were basically three reasons. UMR had a good math and science program, which introduced me to engineering. Second, I liked the small school atmosphere because I knew I would receive attention from professors. Finally, my best friend at the time was John Minney, Missouri-Rolla ’68. He informed me that there was this great fraternity at UMR that John knew I would really enjoy.
DSF: That fraternity being Delta Sigma Phi?
JL: Yes.
DSF: How did you get involved with Delta Sig?
JL: When I arrived at campus, John introduced me to a bunch of the guys. I immediately felt welcomed. They seemed like a group of men who were serious about college and had fun, too. I thought this was where I fit in.
DSF: How was your experience as a Delta Sig undergraduate?
JL: I thought it was terrific. Our chapter size was just under 100, so I experienced a large fraternity. I was a classic engineering student – fairly quiet and shy. Delta Sigma Phi helped me become an extrovert; I boosted my confidence as an undergrad and cracked out of my shell. Overall, the Fraternity was the first experience that helped me become who I am today. You may hear that phrase often, but it’s true. Delta Sig also helped me make the transition from high school to college. We had a very strong bond between all the brothers. I always felt that I could talk to my brothers about personal matters in my life.
DSF: Were you elected to any executive board positions or appointed to any chairmanships?
JL: I was head Steward for two years, which was a big position for us due to our structure and the size of our chapter house. I was a very active brother in various committees, too.
DSF: Talk about life after UMR?
JL: I graduated from college in 1972. For the first 12 years after college, I worked for Hallmark Cards and then Black & Veatch. In those companies, I held project management positions. As I was getting older and maturing, I began to have a massive interest in writing and speaking – kind of odd for a guy who started off as an introvert. In 1983, I formed Luman Consultants International and launched into a writing/speaking/consulting career. Over the last 10 years, I have written four books on leadership and organizations. You can learn more about my company by viewing our website at www.lumanconsultants.com. I also have a personal website devoted to my provocative books and presentations – www.jamesrlucas.com. Next year, I will launch my fifth book. The content will focus on high performance and ethics. I am the co-author of this book, with the retired CEO of Harris Corporation. We have Steve Forbes writing the Foreword and Zig Ziglar writing the Afterword. We anticipate this book being a pretty big seller.
DSF: In regards to your consulting business, who are some clients?
JL: Some names you will recognize are Procter & Gamble, Logitech, Kerr-McGee, Cintas, the State of New York, and the U. S. Army.
DSF: Going back to the Fraternity experience – what did you learn most while a Delta Sig undergraduate?
JL: To challenge myself and others – to be provocative. In my work, there is no standard answer to any organization’s challenges. I will bring as much strategic thinking to the table that will help any organization grow and develop.
DSF: Tell us about your speaking career.
JL: Since I started public speaking, I have spoken to around 200,000 people. One of the highlights of my speaking career was being hired as the keynote speaker for the Day 1 “kick-off” of the PricewaterhouseCoopers merger in 1998 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL. My work has taken me all over North America, Western Europe, and some other “exotic” places like Morocco.
DSF: What is your most fond memory as a Delta Sig undergraduate?
JL: All the late nighters before exam week, hanging out with all the guys in the chapter house who were up studying. We did some really goofy things to stay up and had some interesting conversations during study breaks.
DSF: Who has been most influential in your life?
JL: For my business career, I would say Peter Drucker, Tom Peters, and Bernard Sarchet. Bernard was the department chair for the undergraduate program I studied at UMR. He helped guide me in my career path. Also John Minney – my chapter brother who encouraged me to join Delta Sigma Phi.
DSF: What advice do you have for our Delta Sig undergrads?
JL: Make your college experience a complete experience. Enjoy the fellowship and life-long friendships. Use the relationships to help you become a better person, and help other people, too. Enjoy the fun and the social side, but also take time to learn from each other. Utilize the Fraternity as part of your education because there are a lot of terrific people involved.
Jim Lucas and wife Pamela live in the Kansas City, MO area and have four children.
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