Smile and the whole world smiles with you!
That’s something my grandfather a longtime newspaper-turned-PR man used to say quoting from the song “When You're Smiling” made famous by Louis Armstrong. As a teenager I don’t know that I paid too much attention to Gramp’s advice, but I do know someone who did. Pope Francis!
Writing in the New York Times, columnist Timothy Egan neatly laid out the reasons why this Pope has been so popular. His secret seems to be the joy he spreads. Such joy comes -- as does his name --from a place of humility. St. Francis of Assisi was a wandering priest renowned for his holiness that stemmed from his oneness with nature. You might consider him a medieval Christian Buddhist.
True enough the business world cannot seem to get enough of this Jesuit Pope. He is an endless source of inspiration for books, including a new one by John L. Allen, The Francis Miracle that Egan cites.
Pope Francis’s joy is evident; it comes from his down-to-earth approachability. Not for Francis the trappings of pomp and circumstance. He lives in a small room, eats in a cafeteria with other religious folk, and makes his own phone calls. And in so many photographs with world leaders or common folks, he is smiling. By doing so, Francis personifies the joy that faith brings. Too often, and in far too many religions, rigor and discipline trump the serenity that faith begets.
Leaders, as I have noted many times, must be the type that look at the glass as half full versus half empty. Why? People need to be inspired, and they will only feel inspired if their leader is positively disposed. A leader inclined to be positive is one who looks at challenges as opportunities. A leader inclined to pessimism is one who sees challenges as roadblocks.
Optimism is not the same as Pollyannaism. True optimists know there are problems. Francis himself is concerned with global plagues such as disease, poverty, and now climate change. He is not afraid to speak truth to power, even when it annoys people. Yet when he does so, people listen, not simply because he’s the Pope but because he is approachable and yes joyful.
One executive I know who embraces the concept of joy is Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, a software development firm. His mission in life, as he explains in his aptly named book Joy, Inc., is to take the drudgery out of IT planning, programming and implementation. How he’s accomplished is by recruiting like-minded – as well as technically proficient experts – who want to apply their skills in a collaborative environment.
Optimist, yes, but Rich is also a realist. If you want people to feel joy, you need to create conditions for joy to exist. As Rich is fond of saying, you need to drive fear out of the workplace. Fear extinguishes creativity. Therefore, leaders need to be clear in their expectations and ensure that everyone knows the goals as well as the objectives. That requires constant communication as well as a culture of accountability. People know what is expected of them. No surprises.
One way to spread joy is let people know two things. One, you care about the work. Two, you care about them as people. That gives people joy. Caring about them really means talking about the work, having a meaningful conversation about what they are doing, and how they are contributing. You provide them with resources and support, and you recognize them for success. That is joyful.
Oh, and as my grandfather taught me, it never hurts to smile.
