Page 137 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

118 • CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization

Stop the Droopy Face

Now I recognize that there are plenty of reasons not to smile. There
is illness, maybe in your family, maybe you. You may have had parents,
children, siblings, and friends who have died or are dying. There is poverty,
disease, war, injustice, child abuse, and puppy abuse in the world. At the
very least, you have stress, depression, and loneliness. Life is full of sad-
ness. On the other hand, you made it to work today despite the hundreds
of other drivers on the roads who were talking on the phone, texting,
switching radio stations, watching a video, drinking coffee, putting on
mascara, or eating a Big Mac.
A smile, a smirk, a sour puss, and a snarl all start with the letter s,
but the similarity stops there. Simple facial movements change the out-
come and attitude of the conversation. A nondroopy face simply has a
hint of a smile—a millisecond of time with micromovement that encom-
passes your entire face and makes you appear relaxed, competent, com-
fortable, cool, calm, collected, charismatic, and confident.
I’ve found it relieves stress, is a natural painkiller, makes me look
younger, seems to boost my immune system, and I’ve been told
increases my attractiveness. Why wouldn’t I smile?

ƒ

Assertiveness is aggressiveness with a smile.

The kicker is to maintain a relaxed expression on your face when
you don’t feel like it—well, especially when you don’t feel like it. Don’t
smile only on an occasion that demands it. (Don’t even chew gum around
others because it inhibits all facial expression.)
People put on a crusty expression to keep you away, to project
disapproval. People do it knowingly, which is bad enough, but they also
do it unknowingly, which is worse. If you give a scowl with awareness,
you’re judging. If you are not aware of your expression, you are not a
leader. Your task: Frown less, and give one smile to a stranger per day.
My first CEO had humorous eyes, and a smile seemed to play
around his lips. He was very effective.