India, May 10 -- I have a friend who everyone thinks is unflappable. You know the type. Always calm. Always positive. Will help fix your marriage with three bullet points.

Lately, this friend and I have been working together on a highly stressful project that involves multiple stakeholders, conflicting interests, and the usual mess that comes with trying to get anything done in this world.

It's got me all worked up. My wife worries. His wife worries too. Except, when she wants to know what's going on, she checks in with me.

Every so often, I'll get a call from her. "He listens to you," she says. "Be his ally. Please make sure he's okay." I assumed this was because he remained unflappable at home, and she wanted to know what was really ...