Shrinkingthecamel

LATEST ARTICLES ( 490 )

• Why Being Super-Generous at Work Will Make You Happier

  

  The other day I received an email from a complete stranger, asking for advice on a business plan: “Dear Mr. Wood,” he blurted forth. Read more

  Posted on 16 April 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Want to Create Your Dream Life? Write It Down.

  

  I was cleaning out the basement last weekend when I turned my attention to an old file cabinet perched in a dark corner, minding its own business. Read more

  Posted on 03 April 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Tired of the Treadmill? Here’s How to Turbocharge Your Goals

  

  I once worked with an organization that was not quite as focused as it should have been. Their returns were on a long, slow decline, and nobody was sure what... Read more

  Posted on 29 March 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Through God You Will Do Valiantly

  

  I have been thinking lately about excellence. Not just at work, but in every area of my life — as a Christian, husband, father, friend, volunteer, Starbucks... Read more

  Posted on 22 March 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Why Guilt-Ridden People Make Better Leaders

  

  The head of security, Fred, poked his head into my office the other day and asked if I was busy.“Uh…well, I’m going to lunch,” I said. It was 12:15, and my... Read more

  Posted on 13 March 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• A Baffling Conversation with an Inappropriate, Foul-Mouthed, Pompous Christian...

  

  There is this gentlemen – I’ll call him Ray Smith- who was a prominent business owner in the region. He was well known, not just for his company and the product... Read more

  Posted on 08 March 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• You Won’t Be an Effective Leader If You Are Too Busy Trying to Be Someone Else

  

  My friend, a high-level manager at a financial services firm, confided he felt as if he were leading a double-life. Not in a sordid, creepy way, involving... Read more

  Posted on 03 March 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• How Not to Suck Up to Your Boss

  

  A colleague of mine, an older, distinguished gentleman, has this habit of trying to predict and finish my sentences.For instance, when I start a conversation,... Read more

  Posted on 20 February 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Five Things to Stop Doing in 2015

  

  Strategy consultant Dorie Clark wrote an intriguing post a couple years ago at Harvard Business Review blogs presenting somewhat of an anti-outlook for New... Read more

  Posted on 08 February 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• It’s Okay to Feel Stupid Sometimes

  

  Have you ever been in a meeting, minding your own business, maybe thinking about what you might want to have for dinner that night, when suddenly you realize al... Read more

  Posted on 25 January 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• The Secret Art of Reinventing Yourself

  

  Eighth grade is typically a harsh year for pre-teens, and mine was no exception. I was not the most athletically coordinated boy, which placed me firmly at the... Read more

  Posted on 17 January 2015 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• A Near-Death-Back-to-Work Experience

  

  Not long ago my wife and I hosted a small group meeting at our house – you know, the thing where a few couples from church get together for some bible study,... Read more

  Posted on 30 December 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• How MicroPrayers Can Help Get You Through the Work Day

  

  With the advent of ubiquitous mobile social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter within reach at a moment’s notice, many of us have taken to posting cleve... Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Are You Going to Stay Stuck, Or Are You Going to Fight?

  Every great story, every hero, every inspiring moment is born out of adversity and perseverance. Conflict and battles are the stuff of myth and legend, and we... Read more

  Posted on 14 November 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Don’t Expect God to Do Your Grunt Work

  

  I was privy to a conversation involving a mentor and his coaching subject, a mid-level manager. They had been discussing the manager’s future – moving up the... Read more

  Posted on 01 November 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• What is Your “One Thing?”

  

  My wife and I took a trip to Nantucket recently to celebrate our anniversary. We walked the cobble-stoned streets, toasted champagne on the beach, indulged in... Read more

  Posted on 23 October 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Six Ways to Take Your Micro-Sabbatical

  

  My pastor recently took a three-month sabbatical. I imagined him sleeping in until ten every morning, followed by extensive periods of crossword puzzles and... Read more

  Posted on 14 October 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Don’t Mistake Doing What You Love with Doing What’s Important

  

  A few moths ago, my wife texted me, “Don’t forget to buy Megamillions tickets!:)”Upon learning of the $656 million jackpot, we couldn’t help ourselves from... Read more

  Posted on 29 September 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• Acknowledging People Takes SO Much Work!

  

  Several executives were standing around my office the other day, debating what to do about a particular employee. Not that someone was in trouble – rather,... Read more

  Posted on 21 September 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY

• How to Lead With Confidence in a Company That Stabs People in the Back

  

  Years ago, I worked for a computer maintenance company, leading a team of college students who received and cleaned the computers. Often, the problem with a... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2014 SELF EXPRESSION, SPIRITUALITY