There is a little asterisk beside everything that you say and do. And below that is an unwritten phrase that says, “Whatever you say or do is subject to criticism.” You can’t escape criticism. Trust me, if you are a leader you are being criticized. And even if you are not hearing the criticism, someone else is. By nature, criticism leads to protection. Protection leads to defense. Growth rarely comes out of a defensive posture.
How you handle criticism today molds you into who you will be tomorrow.
Since criticism is inevitable, we might as well embrace it and use it to our advantage. Here are some thoughts on how to handle criticism to your advantage.
- Strip away the emotion from the criticism. This is hard to do since most criticism is saturated in emotion. But listen for what is being said underneath the emotions.
- Instead of trying to protect your motives or reputation, try to see the criticism from the eyes of the criticizer.
- Ask them to elaborate on anything that is not specific. Ask them for examples.
- Mine for the meat, but spit out the bones. There will often be both in the criticism. No need to respond to the bones, just spit em’ out. If you’re not sure if it’s meat or a bone, ask a few close friends to confirm it for you before you dismiss it as a bone.
- If there is legitimacy to the criticism, work through the following questions…
Is there a relationship that needs to be repaired?
Is there a principle that needs to be learned?
Is there a practice that needs to be changed
Is there a sin that needs to be repented of?
- Thank the person for helping you grow as a leader. They just gave you a gift.
How do you handle criticism?
