Some occasions are important, others are not. And you can always count on some people to make a big deal out of points that aren't important in the big picture. They seem to believe it's necessary to choose sides and fight battles over where to put the water cooler and how to design the new business cards. These people dilute their energy and effectiveness. Some things are critically important and deserve your real energy.
Successful professionals know how to focus on strategies, goals and directions.
They usually win the battles they fight because they choose the right cause, prepare themselves and concentrate their forces. They know that a lot of issues aren't worth their time. They're willing to concede some battles to win the war. If you want to see how well this theory works when practiced by the masters, study the lives of great military leaders, elder statesmen and captains of industry. Nearly all of them share the almost uncanny ability to win the big prize while everyone else was off on a tangent, mired in disagreement and fighting the wrong battle.