Leaders Need to Learn How to Take Criticism

July 10, 2019

Leaders Need to Learn How to Take Criticism

If you’re in a leadership position, you need to know how to take criticism well. Being resilient will help you stay focused on what the company needs, rather than on the naysayers. One strategy is to brainstorm several ways to respond to criticism and write them down for reference.

 It can be hard to know what to say in the moment, so general responses will ensure you have something ready. They could include: “Thank you for sharing your point of view. I’d like to consider it more and get back to you” or “Let me repeat what you said, to make sure I understood you.” Another good strategy is to remind yourself that the criticism may be aimed at your role rather than at you personally. If you’re the head of product, for example, it’s possible that the head of sales will always clash with you, no matter who has the job. Distancing yourself from criticism this way can help you think through what was said — and what the criticism is really about.

Adapted from “How to Take Criticism Well,” by Sabina Nawaz