I once heard a story about Henry Kissinger falling asleep in the middle of a very important meeting. Everyone noticed, but no one dared say anything because he was such a highly respected diplomat. The moment he came to, upon picking up the few fragments of sentences that were being discussed in mid-conversation, he immediately interrupted the group with some blinding insight. I try not to fall asleep in meetings, whether I am making the presentation, or receiving one. Because,... Read more
For all of you aspiring leaders out there, let’s just cut the crap and get right to the point. Rather than dragging this out into six years’ worth of leadership-advice-blogging, which would innevitably get picked up by Random House, who would publish a best-selling book series, which would lead to 225 days a year on the motivational speaker circuit and then spin-off to a consulting empire where I teach thousands of people the secrets of “How to Not Suck as a Leader,”... Read more
I am leaving soon for vacation, and decided this would also be a good time to take a little blogging break for a couple, oh, I don’t know, maybe three weeks. In the meantime, I will serve up some good re-posts that deserve a second round. You probably won’t even notice I’m gone. Dear reader, I will think of you often (not really) while I am off somewhere in the Western Caribbean floating peacefully on a raft in the aqua-green sea. And speaking of... Read more
This post was published at Christianity Today’s Faithintheworkplace.com earlier this week, which I thought makes it worthy of a repost right here at the homestead, too. If you are at all challenging and stretching yourself, you will inevitably run into situations where you feel completely over your head. It’s the most natural thing in the world. But rather than beating yourself up for being such an idiot for not knowing how to handle it better, here are some useful steps to take when you feel snowed under at... Read more
My wife and I were enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon last weekend when the conversation turned to alternate universes. Other than watching an occasional episode of Fringe , this is generally not an everyday point of discussion. However, I had just finished reading a review of physicist Brian Greene’s new book, “The Hidden Reality,” which points to the mind-boggling prospect of multiple universes as a bona-fide scientific reality. “Listen to this,” I said, reading from the New York Times book review. “It says that ‘infinite variations of ourselves,... Read more
For years I have been complaining bitterly about the great divide between church and work. I eagerly joined the band of enlightened and indignant comrades in the marketplace whining about the maddening compartmentalization of spiritual and business life; how the church has failed to meet our needs as professionals; how we must redeem the spiritual dignity of work; and generally making a big stink as we desperately sought to locate a culprit to blame. For the most part this has... Read more
A couple of years ago, I began making some lame attempts at meditation, mostly in hopes that it would help calm the tangled frenzy of chatter constantly orbiting around my brain. The exercise of quieting one’s thoughts for a few moments every day is generally helpful. Although it is extremely difficult for me to stop and do nothing when instead I could be working, or answering email, or eating a delicious cupcake. But I have kept at it, and tried to discipline... Read more
This past year my beautiful wife and I celebrated twenty-five years of marriage. That is certainly a long time for two people to be living together. In some circles, that would qualify for freak-show status. We married in our early twenties, both of us recent college graduates. We thought of ourselves as full-fledged adults back then, but really, we were still just kids with very little experience of true responsibility in life. We have been through quite a lot since then,... Read more
I usually don’t pay much attention to those dime-a-dozen reality shows sweeping the prime time cable line up. Whether it’s that creepy pawn shop guy, or the crazy ice truckers, or those squeaky-voiced Kardashian triplets, I find them trite and boring. But my huffy attitude changed forever one recent Sunday evening as I sat down in front of the TV with a blunt determination to bore myself with some mindless trash. Clicking through the channels, I landed on an image of a grown... Read more
There’s a bright yellow band of construction tape blocking the administrative entrance to my company’s main building. Apparently there are a set of killer icicles hanging from the roofline forty feet above, threatening to bludgeon unassuming office workers arriving to work. That wouldn’t be pretty. In any case, I had to go around and use the main entrance to the manufacturing plant. I sighed deeply at the thought of walking an extra twenty yards out of my way. It was about... Read more
Shrinking the Camel
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