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| The end of summer brilliance |
"If I were a flower... I would be a sunflower. To always follow the sun, turn my back to darkness, stand proud, tall and straight even with my head full of seeds." Pam Stewart
We live in the country and down the street there is a farm that is clothed in tall, vibrant, electric yellow sunflowers along the road every year in late summer. The sight is so dazzling that you can see it from quite a distance. Whenever I drive by, I can't help but smile. It's such an uplifting beautiful and unexpected sight. The patch of tall upright flowers look like a mob of hundreds of happy, playful, and carefree people. You would smile too! I guarantee it!
Sunflowers, "Helianthus Annus", are a native American flower that everyone recognizes. They often grow wild in fields with the help of birds spreading their seeds. I have a small patch by my bird feeder this year from my featured friends left from last winter. What a sight! Sunflowers come in so many sizes and colors thanks to novel breeding techniques over the years. Flowers can be anywhere from 12 inches to 20 feet tall. So many of us grew up with sunflower forts or gardens to romp in. Notice sometime how summer is depicted in pictures, tee shirts, and decorations covered with sunflowers. They grab attention with their sunny happy "faces".
Humans are unique because we have so many expressions that project our thoughts and feelings. Even as babies we have the ability to communicate through our cries or expressions. No other animal has that ability. Our faces often reflect the "soul" of our personality. We all know people that walk around looking as if the world is ending. You know, the one's that look forlorn because they are always wearing a grumpy or unhappy face? Always. Think of how their "aura" wears off on others. They look like their face might crack if they smile. How does it make you feel? Smiling is so unique and powerful to just us - make sure that you take advantage of it!
One of the most famous smiles in the world belongs to the Mona Lisa. I'm not convinced that she is actually smiling however, it's the first comment that's usually made when referencing the painting. Did you know that kids smile an average of 400 times a day? Happy people tend to smile 40-50 times a day? The average Joe smiles only about 20 times a day? What a difference! Smiling sets off a chain reaction. When you smile, you release powerful "feel good" chemicals called Endorphins. Your Cortisol decreases which impacts your mood. Smiling releases Oxytocin which aids in bonding and intimacy. Smiling is like a great night's sleep for your brain and even better? It's contagious! Even if you need to fake a smile once in awhile you still release Endorphins! Smiling is like sugar to your brain and has these benefits as well greggiesen.wordpress.com :
- Raises your mood and decreases stress as a result
- Boosts the immune system
- Reduces blood pressure
- Increases self confidence
- You feel and look younger
- Gives you energy
- Lengthens your life span
- Reduces pain
Why would you NOT smile????
What does smiling have to do with you?? Simple. If you want to be an effective leader - smile!!Think of how you feel when someone smiles at you - particularly someone that you admire. No matter who you lead or how many, you set the tone and guide the culture with your facial expressions and body language. People tend to naturally mirror the moods and reactions of their managers. An instant connection is set off when you smile and your grins help connect people. It relays the message that someone else is important. By smiling, you have the power to encourage others while projecting energy, optimism, and motivation. Studies have even shown that smiling can increase employee productivity.
If you still aren't convince about the power of your smile consider this:
- Smiles build trust - look at the profound effect your smile has on an infant. Powerful.
- Smiles are contagious. They spread and often stay in place because of what you do or say.
- Smiles make everyone look more attractive and approachable.
- Smiles can help you, or others, recover from embarrassment or an uncomfortable moment.
- A positive focus is amplified by your happy grins.
Smiling makes you memorable and is one of your best tools for sound leadership!
Some time back I heard an interesting story about an experiment that a financial firm embarked on. Their offices were very professional with gleaming steel and glass. Everyone could see one another and freely interact. The company asked the branch manager to wear a worried and stern face for the entire day (which wasn't like him). He also kept his door closed which was something that he never did. He pretended to be on the phone in serious discussions - grimacing. His entire staff could see him. Guess what? Investment sales plummeted 25% that day. People walked around wearing frowns and whispered that perhaps there were business problems. Layoffs may be on the way. The team reacted to the mood and expression on their manager's face. His lack of smiling and morbid expression had an enormous affect on the team. Do you want to be this type of leader? Who wants to have this kind of negative impact on a team? Think about what your face says next time you are in a sour mood.
Here's another example. I have a friend that works in a mid size company. Every morning she strolled right by the CEO with a friendly "Hi"! and a bright smile. Every morning he ignored her. He did the same to others as well. Just how do you think that made his people feel? Is that a great way to start your day? She was determined to coax a smile out of him. It took several weeks, but she won. He finally smiled and responded. Wow! What type of culture do you think exists in that company? You got it. The atmosphere is negative. People look pained. There's a lot of turf protecting and politics. Not a great place to show up to every day. Don't become this type of leader. The results can be devastating.
Don't be a grumpy face. Imagine those bright sunny "happy" fields of sunflowers in your mind and project the feeling that they bring you onto others. If flowers aren't your kind of thing then find something else that makes you smile. Smile and be approachable to people. Strive to connect and show that others are important to you.
Stand tall and proud to be a leader. You can do it.......
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| The sunny face of leadership |