“Strive to be the calmest person in the room.”
I had asked for advice, and James Breen gave it to me. Dr. Breen, one of the finest surgeons to ever wield a scalpel against gynecologic cancer, summarized for me then what I tell my students now (with proper attribution of course.) In business, in medicine and in life, staying calm is at least as important as any fact set, analytical ability or technical skill.