Deflect Insults to Win the Day

There's an old maxim: acting is reacting. I'd argue that the same philosophy applies to business: Your success hinges on how you react to various situations, like impending deadlines, make-or-break sales pitches, and people who say and do stupid things. React positively to everything that comes your way and you're sure to reap some rewards. React negatively and watch the career suffer.

Witness a story recounted by HP chief architect Pete Johnson, who, while on a conference call, overheard a very public slam against his team of programmers. Rather than jump down the jerk's throat, he defused the situation with a joke. After the meeting, the guy called to apologize profusely and offer his help should the need ever arise. Months later, it did.

By tempering his reaction to a potentially explosive situation, Johnson turned lemons into lemonade. This is a great lesson, one that applies equally to business and personal life. Can you recall a situation in which a positive reaction to a bad situation yielded positive results? Tell us about it in the Comments!