"Never make a decesion until you have to". He'd also warn me that even if I was in a position of strenght, whether at work or in a relationship, I ha… - Randy Pausch

Just because you're in the driver's seat, doesn't mean you have to run people over.

Everyone has Good and Bad Times. Find your creative/thinking time. Defend it ruthlessly, spend it alone, maybe at home. Find your dead time. Schedule meetings, phone calls, and mundane stuff during it.

if you offer wisdom from a third party, it seems less arrogant and more acceptable.

I’LL TAKE an earnest person over a hip person every time, because hip is short-term. Earnest is long-term. Earnestness is highly underestimated. It comes from the core, while hip is trying to impress you with the surface.