>The moral of the story is that focusing on inputs can allow or even encourage substandard outputs, and that it's easier to exceed expectations if you set them real low then flatter and charm. It's also true that sometimes the best surgeons are overworked or slightly onto the spectrum and may not be as charming as Dr 4 Weeks. My own experience is of a daughter's orthodontist who must have been having a bad day on her 3rd visit as he was so shockingly impolite that I almost swept up my daughter and walked out on him- but his results are legendary, so I bit my tongue. I'll never see him again, but the daughter did well and that's what matters, surely.

I faced a similar situation and told the MD, in front of my kid, that he was acting like a child, and had 5 minutes to get his act together before we left.
He did.

However, we are not talking about technical skill here.

This is leadership.

Part of leadership is setting a tone. I was fortunate to be able to cast my first votes for real leaders - Ike and JFK.

It's noteworthy that since Bush I left office, and the boomers took over, the White House has been occupied by draft dodgers. Maybe the country is getting what it wants.