Being diplomatic is nice, but you are better off being in control today. It is not an easy day for making compromises and seeing things from other people's points of view anyway, so no one is going to mind too much if you step up and take charge. They trust you more than you realize, and they have confidence that you will make the right decisions: so you should, too. If you're surrounded by powerful people, don't get intimidated. Smart people admire other smart people (like you! ).