A generation ago when I was in boarding school I witnessed a scene that impacted me immensely and still guides me to this day.
It was lunch time. Right after lessons had adjoured for the day. As my fellow students and I approached the dining hall, we were suddenly overran by other students who were writing their final papers. Their mission? Take the dining hall. Objective? Raid as many tables of the food served for students – 12 per table.
Then something extraordinary happened. The dining hall master was then in the adjoining kitchen with the school’s matron and other kitchen staff. Hearing the commotion he proceeded to the main hall and what he did was the not only amazing but also a masterclass in composure, focus and purpose.