No Need to Panic

Former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, was given some indispensable advice at a young age by his father who told him that in a crisis situation, "Become the calmest person in the room." Mr. Giuliani credits his father's words of wisdom for saving his life during the 9-11 World Trade attacks.

Ever notice how panic helps no one? And more to the point, it makes the person falling to pieces just look bad. Self-control is the antidote to panic, and the time to practice is before a serious situation arises. The next time you feel yourself unhinging ever so slightly because the FedEx pickup didn’t happen or the meeting room you reserved for your clients is being used instead for a CPR course, take a deep cleansing breath, close your eyes, and tell yourself to act like the calmest person in the room. Open your eyes and realize that most situations can be remedied by a clear head and some quick thinking. An Elegant Executive never panics.