How Great Leaders Thrive on Criticism

Great leaders know that the only way to avoid criticism is to say nothing and do nothing that upsets the status quo. But, if you’re a great leader, you’re focused on taking the necessary actions to implement your positive vision of the future and improve the condition of the world, your organization, or your team. If you’re proposing new ideas and taking action to implement changes to improve the organization, you are guaranteed to generate a fair amount of criticism. The more successful you are, the more criticism you are likely to generate as a leader.

Criticism can be tough to deal with when emotions, personalities, and egos come out to play. But being on the receiving end of criticism doesn’t have to be a negative experience. So, how can great leaders benefit from criticism and take their leadership impact to an even higher level?

First, remember that criticism is simply one price of success

In today’s world of social media, it is much easier for leaders to get their message out to the masses. Great! Unfortunately, they are now able to be scrutinized by just about anyone. When you take into account the often anonymous nature of the internet, the criticism can reach a whole other level of brutal. Some of the criticism will be helpful, and some criticism will be provided simply to hurt and discourage you from taking risks or making changes. If your goal is to avoid criticism, then strive hard to do nothing, say nothing, and above all else, maintain the status quo. Great leaders know that criticism is inevitable, and learn how to deal with it in a productive way.

Criticism can be a motivator confirming you are on the right track

Winston Churchill once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” When someone criticizes something you wrote, said, or did, consider the source. It may confirm your belief further, and give you the confidence to keep moving forward.

Learn what you can

Although you may not agree with the overall criticism, there may be a piece of the critique that is accurate, and could easily be implemented to help you improve. Great leaders are set on their vision, but flexible on the details. If someone points out an area you could improve on, take advantage. They just helped you get closer to achieving your vision.

Wait before you respond

Criticism can create strong emotions that drive you to respond immediately. That immediate response is usually one of defense. Read, listen or acknowledge the feedback instead. If the criticism happens in person, thank the criticizer for their feedback and let them know you will think about their comments. When the initial emotions have dissipated, you are in a better position to respond to the criticism in a constructive and positive way.

Acknowledge the sting of criticism, and move on

When people criticize you, it hurts. The natural emotion is to engage in a dialogue with the criticizer and defend yourself. One reader of our blogs recently sent me a nasty email disagreeing with one of my points. I wanted to email him back defending my point of view. Recognizing that the email would trigger another round of disagreements, it was a whole lot more productive for me to write next week’s blog instead. Great leaders don’t let criticism throw them off the tracks leading to their vision.

Stay focused on your vision

When you are focused on your positive vision of the future, it helps you stay resilient to pettiness and criticism. When you feel yourself getting defensive, quickly take action to remind yourself of the bigger picture – your vision. It will save you a ton of time and negative energy.

Be a reverse paranoid

If you truly believe that everyone is out to help you, it makes it a lot easier to listen to criticism and figure out if there is a piece of it you can use to further your vision and goals. Your critics did all the work to identify potential weaknesses – take advantage and make improvements.

Monitor your self-talk

Research shows that up to 80% of our self-talk is negative. That probably goes up to 95% when we are subject to criticism. The next time you are criticized, quickly learn what you can and then say to yourself, “great leadership.”

Maintain your sense of humor

Knowing great leaders will generate criticism, you can start viewing criticism in a whole new light. Some of the things people say about you or your actions are really funny. Someone recently wrote and told me they thought my recommendation was “touchy-feely.” If you know me well, that comment is really funny. Too many people lack a good sense of humor. Make sure you have yours, and use it to improve your outlook when you encounter criticism.
We know criticism is inevitable in leadership. A thicker skin may certainly be a valuable asset, but don’t let your skin grow so thick you become arrogant. Arrogant leaders truly believe, to their own detriment, that they have nothing left to learn. Stay focused on your vision, learn what you can, and allow criticism to be just another piece of feedback that motivates you to reach even higher levels of success.