Failure is coming. It is an inevitable part of the process of learning and growing. You will probably not handle that moment of failure as well as you would believe when it does come.
Make time to check on your friends that keep up a consistent strong front. Never let them answer to you that they are okay. Never leave until they open up.
Gathering the best talent available and lavishing them with resources and perks is an easy mantra to recite. It is becoming increasingly harder to implement in the real world.
If you suddenly notice a person you are used to hearing from has gone silent, and they have a habit of not saying negative things about people, you need to evaluate your recent actions.
Scoring extra time with a renowned expert is not worth the effort if it takes twice as long to get the needed information as an interview with someone with standard knowledge.