It takes more muscles to frown than to smile:
· Smile:
o 17 muscles, including the zygomatic major, orbicularis oculi, and depressor anguli oris.
· Frown:
o 43 muscles, including the corrugator supercilii, orbicularis oculi, and depressor anguli oris.
Conversely, it takes more time to do something right than wrong, because doing things right takes planning, practice, patience, and the judicious and often time-consuming use of people skills. Take rightsizing an organization: a leader could easily just eliminate jobs and hound people into quitting – that’s quick but disruptive and hurtful; or do it right by resetting mission and objectives, developing a plan that respects legal and policy requirements, accounts for and mitigates impacts to its business, employees, and customers, and is done with empathy. Just because you can do something doesn’t always mean you should – ineffective leaders would do well to learn that; but sometimes, because you can, you absolutely should – like driving changes – big and small, thoughtfully, and respectfully. It’s a sign of strength and character to take into consideration how things are perceived by and impact people – that’s not coddling, it’s the type of kindness one learns from the Bible. So, if you’ve got to do something, smile more than you frown, plan appropriately, communicate effectively, and be empathetic. Because (1) if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right, and (2) the people you run into tomorrow may be the same ones you’re running off today.
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, KG, PC (1694 – 1773): British statesman, diplomat, man of letters, and an acclaimed wit of his time.
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