There is this story that has made the rounds in the advertising world. It’s about Shelly Lazarus, the CEO of Ogilvy & Mather, from earlier days when she was a management supervisor.
The media director lost his (or her) cool. The reports weren’t printing out properly and the client was on the way over. The media director was, in technical terms, freaking out.
Ms. Lazarus grabbed the media director by the shoulders and asked, "Are they coming to take your children?"
Media director: "No."
Shelly Lazarus: "Then for goodness sakes, let’s all calm down."
Are they going to take your children? If not, what are you really afraid of?