Lead the way you’d want to be led on your worst day.

Everyone leads from their best day and forgets what the worst one needed. On a bad day you do not want cleverness or pressure, you want somebody patient who assumes the best of you. That is the standard, and it is inconvenient because it applies when you are tired and the other person is underperforming. Leading well is mostly deciding in advance.

Think about how you would want to be handled after a night with no sleep. Give one person that this week, especially the one who is annoying you. It costs you very little and it is remembered for years.