Almost fired over a smile: Why emotional intelligence matters as much as skills in Indian workplaces
When a smile nearly cost a young professional his job, the internet took notice. A viral Reddit post has sparked an uncomfortable conversation about the fragility of corporate hierarchies, ego-driven management, and how remote work exposed deep cracks in workplace culture.
The post, shared in late October, recounts the experience of a fresher who joined a mid-sized company during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. During an introductory Zoom meeting with a senior leader, he smiled at a lighthearted moment, only to discover six months later that the same senior had reportedly felt insulted and pushed for his termination over the incident.
His managers quietly shielded him and handled the situation without letting him know. But the story, both absurd and eye-opening, resonated widely with professionals who have faced similar experiences where workplace power was misused in the name of professionalism.
When a smile became a “sign of disrespect”The employee, part of a batch of freshers, joined a virtual onboarding session where a senior executive joined for introductions. “He seemed fun, was making jokes with us,” the Redditor wrote. “When he made a joke about one of my friends, she laughed, I smiled. Others smiled too. Then he asked, ‘Why are you smiling?’ I said, ‘Nothing sir, all good.’ That was the end of it, or so I thought.”
Months later, his colleagues revealed that the same senior executive had taken offense to the smile, allegedly interpreting it as disrespect. “He said I was lying on my bed during the call,” the employee wrote, explaining that it was actually a camera angle issue from his gaming laptop. The senior reportedly escalated the matter through internal emails, even asking that he be fired.
Thankfully, his immediate team stood by him, diffusing the situation before it went further. “That’s when I understood how small of a person this guy is,” the post concluded. “Leaving that org was the best decision I took.”
Power, ego, and misplaced professionalismThe story struck a chord because it highlighted how fragile workplace hierarchies can sometimes be. What was meant to be a simple introduction turned into a test of respect and decorum. Many young professionals could relate to this, the unspoken rule that juniors must constantly watch their tone, expression, or even posture around seniors.
For freshers entering corporate life, incidents like this serve as a reality check. Professionalism should never mean suppressing normal human reactions or catering to egos. It is about mutual respect, not fear.
What workplaces can learn from thisThere’s a big lesson here for companies. While most organisations talk about “performance culture,” very few pay attention to emotional safety — the feeling that it’s okay to be yourself without being judged or humiliated.
Empathy is no longer just a soft skill. It has become a core part of good leadership. Teams perform better when they feel safe, heard, and respected. Fear doesn’t motivate people; it burns them out.
Creating that kind of culture doesn’t take grand gestures. It starts with small things: open conversations, better feedback systems, leadership training in emotional intelligence, and a genuine effort to flatten hierarchies. Humor, empathy, and kindness don’t reduce productivity; they enhance it.
Respect goes both waysThe smile incident may sound small, but it reveals something big about how workplaces function. Too often, respect is treated like a one-way street where juniors must respect seniors even when seniors don’t show it back.
But the modern workforce is changing that. Respect today means listening, understanding, and treating people as equals, regardless of title.
For young professionals, this story is both frustrating and empowering. It reminds them that it’s okay to leave toxic spaces behind. For leaders, it’s a wake-up call that authority without empathy isn’t strength; it’s insecurity.
One smile might have upset an insecure boss, but it also brought thousands of people together who said, “Hey, I’ve been there too.” And that shared realisation might just be the beginning of better, more human workplaces.
The post, shared in late October, recounts the experience of a fresher who joined a mid-sized company during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. During an introductory Zoom meeting with a senior leader, he smiled at a lighthearted moment, only to discover six months later that the same senior had reportedly felt insulted and pushed for his termination over the incident.
His managers quietly shielded him and handled the situation without letting him know. But the story, both absurd and eye-opening, resonated widely with professionals who have faced similar experiences where workplace power was misused in the name of professionalism.
When a smile became a “sign of disrespect”The employee, part of a batch of freshers, joined a virtual onboarding session where a senior executive joined for introductions. “He seemed fun, was making jokes with us,” the Redditor wrote. “When he made a joke about one of my friends, she laughed, I smiled. Others smiled too. Then he asked, ‘Why are you smiling?’ I said, ‘Nothing sir, all good.’ That was the end of it, or so I thought.”
Months later, his colleagues revealed that the same senior executive had taken offense to the smile, allegedly interpreting it as disrespect. “He said I was lying on my bed during the call,” the employee wrote, explaining that it was actually a camera angle issue from his gaming laptop. The senior reportedly escalated the matter through internal emails, even asking that he be fired.
Thankfully, his immediate team stood by him, diffusing the situation before it went further. “That’s when I understood how small of a person this guy is,” the post concluded. “Leaving that org was the best decision I took.”
Power, ego, and misplaced professionalismThe story struck a chord because it highlighted how fragile workplace hierarchies can sometimes be. What was meant to be a simple introduction turned into a test of respect and decorum. Many young professionals could relate to this, the unspoken rule that juniors must constantly watch their tone, expression, or even posture around seniors.
For freshers entering corporate life, incidents like this serve as a reality check. Professionalism should never mean suppressing normal human reactions or catering to egos. It is about mutual respect, not fear.
What workplaces can learn from thisThere’s a big lesson here for companies. While most organisations talk about “performance culture,” very few pay attention to emotional safety — the feeling that it’s okay to be yourself without being judged or humiliated.
Empathy is no longer just a soft skill. It has become a core part of good leadership. Teams perform better when they feel safe, heard, and respected. Fear doesn’t motivate people; it burns them out.
Creating that kind of culture doesn’t take grand gestures. It starts with small things: open conversations, better feedback systems, leadership training in emotional intelligence, and a genuine effort to flatten hierarchies. Humor, empathy, and kindness don’t reduce productivity; they enhance it.
But the modern workforce is changing that. Respect today means listening, understanding, and treating people as equals, regardless of title.
For young professionals, this story is both frustrating and empowering. It reminds them that it’s okay to leave toxic spaces behind. For leaders, it’s a wake-up call that authority without empathy isn’t strength; it’s insecurity.
One smile might have upset an insecure boss, but it also brought thousands of people together who said, “Hey, I’ve been there too.” And that shared realisation might just be the beginning of better, more human workplaces.
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