Being grateful and kind to others is something that, without having any cost, has great value. If you can also put a smile on the face of the person you are talking to, that value increases exponentially. It’s a question of knowing how to behave, of being gentle with people, it’s not magic, it’s empathy.
My goodness, how much a conversation, a meeting, a negotiation can change when you know how to treat people in the right way.
Being a sportsman has given me the gift of meeting and working with many people, people from very different walks of life, from opposite cultures in some cases. In all of them I have found a common denominator: the more grateful you are, the better things tend to go for you.
Our body language, gaze, and smile serve as invaluable allies in moments of mutual misunderstanding, bridging the gap when words fail to convey understanding. Gestures allow us to reach where words cannot.
Sometimes it seems that kindness or friendliness is associated with weakness, it is like an impulse that people use to protect themselves. The more distant I am and the less caring I am, the less problems I will have, the more I will be in a superior position where I feel in control. I couldn’t disagree more. Many great leaders have that point of empathy that allows them not to control, but to manage the situation in a natural way to influence or inspire with their charisma, with their ideals, with their vision. For me it is a sign of power, of knowing how to manage situations.
Within any team or organisation, it is possible to achieve an internal culture with such a powerful energy that it would allow to achieve the objectives and the famous KPIs. Just by choosing the right type of communication, investing in values; by being polite and smiling!
The results will not be achieved just because of our nice smile, but surely whoever thinks of us, or our organisation will do so with a smile on their face. Because we will have influence them.
Be kind without expecting anything in return, give a smile to those who need it most. In fact, if you like challenges, Dare to smile at that person who sells you your daily bread without a smile., or the one you pass in the hallway at work and hardly looks at you. Say good morning in a loud and friendly tone, so that they are surprised and when they look up they find you smiling. Let them fall under the influence. Give them a few days, wait and see what their reaction is. Dare them.
Let’s spread the good vibes. Let´s smile.
Carlos Prieto.