His first rule is simple: if you must announce that you are in charge, you probably are not. Cardinal Rule has watched enough loud people confuse volume with wisdom, and he is no longer volunteering to correct them for free.

Experience does not provide every answer, but it teaches us which questions deserve our energy. There comes a point when peace matters more than proving yourself to people committed to misunderstanding you. Wisdom is knowing when to speak—and when silence has already made the point.