Leadership Lessons from Around the World: Thailand - The Land of a Thousand (or at least 13) Smiles
“Why does everyone here smile all the time?” my daughter asked as we passed through a bustling market on the island of Phuket. It was the perfect question to reflect on as we began our stay in Thailand. I asked the same question to a local shopkeeper in Bangkok a few days later, who replied, “We smile because even though we may not be happy all the time, we try to have a good heart inside.” This honest answer made me reflect on the power of something as simple as a smile, and the impact it can have on the people we lead, influence, and interact with every day.
When we read headlines from around the world today or deal with our day-to-day stresses, there seems to be less and less to smile about. As I tell my children, despite how bad things seem there is always something to smile about and be grateful for. During this week when the USA celebrates Thanksgiving (and the rest of the world enjoys Black Friday), if there is ever a time to embrace smiling, it is now!
So what types of smiles exist in Thailand beyond Thai Smile Airlines and the hundreds of dental clinics that fix people’s smiles for cheap? I have titled and grouped thirteen distinct Thai smiles below, as described by the Impact Group (1), into positive and negative types.
?Positive Smiles
?Negative Smiles
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So what can we learn from these types of smiles?
1.???? Don’t Be a Joker!
Research conducted by Dr. Magdalena Rychlowska of Queen’s University Belfast (in partnership with experts from other leading institutions) found that “a certain type of smile can help to restore trust in relationships after someone has been uncooperative or untrustworthy” (2). In other words, if we conflict with a colleague or team member resulting in eroded trust, the type of smile with which we respond can be vital to either further damaging or strengthening that relationship.
For example, if we choose a negative smile after such an encounter, then we will further damage the level of trust that people feel towards us (think The Joker who smiles devilishly after doing something destructive to Batman). Alternatively, if we choose a more affiliative or positive smile, the likelihood of improving levels of trust with colleagues increases (think about a coach or teacher who flashes a smile of encouragement after you get something wrong).
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2.???? Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go!
Smiling is also directly linked to the essential feeling of happiness. According to research conducted by Jessica Pryce-Jones, and shared by the University of Western Alabama, the author found that “Happiness at work is closely correlated with greater performance and productivity as well as greater energy, better reviews, faster promotion, higher income, better health and increased happiness with life. She also found that the happiest employees were 180% more energized and 155% happier with their jobs. They spent 80% of their week on work-related tasks, compared to the 40% their least happy coworkers spent” (3).
As leaders, if we believe that smiling can have some positive impact on greater productivity and happiness (research also shows that when we authentically smile others also experience a heightened sense of happiness and joy), why would we not start smiling and bringing smiles and happiness to others in our everyday work life?
3.???? Two Thousand Bars of Chocolate
Smiling does not have to be all about helping make others feel happy. Smiling also releases our own feel-good endorphins and reduces cortisol which provide real health benefits, including:
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-?????? Reduced stress
-?????? Reduced pain
-?????? Reduced blood pressure and risk of heart disease
-?????? Reduced anxiety
-?????? Strengthened immune system
-?????? Increased endurance
-?????? Improved mood
-?????? Increased overall life expectancy
Ron Gutman shared in his Ted Talk that, “British researchers found that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate” (4). I don’t know about you, but if I could consume 2,000 bars of dark chocolate every day without giving me even more of a dad-bod, I would!
Reflecting on the beautiful Thai custom of smiling, if we take the time to smile in an authentic, sincere, and positive way and avoid the fake, disingenuous or negative smiles that erode trust and relationships, we will undoubtably bring more joy to the teams and organizations we lead. More importantly, we will bring greater physical and mental health to ourselves, and that is something we can all smile about!
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1 年Mazher Ahmad what an inspiring and informative article. Authentic smiles are a win-win, literally cost nothing, and take very little time. I remember reading that people can sense a smile when you’re talking on the phone. The power of the smile is real.