It is how you handle it that matters.

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Introduction

I was the CEO for Cable & Wireless for seven years and I am now the managing partner of my own accounting firm for the past ten years. Based on my experience, leaders will get criticized from internal and external customers.  This comes with the job and for those of you who are not leaders, I am telling you to expect criticism and negativity no matter what you do. The thing is you cannot please everyone. Furthermore, the critics always think they can do a better job than you until they assume that position and realize all that glitters is not gold.

As a leader, you got to have a “strong back” and you do not need to go back and forth responding to every criticism. Of course, you should not take criticism for granted because there are some points and lessons you can learn from criticism. Therefore, the key for you as an effective leader is how you handle the criticism and negativity.

Do not get mad or even – Accept that is part of the role.

It is natural to get mad and upset when someone criticizes you. Quite frankly it is a natural thing to do. However, I encourage you not to get mad otherwise you will be mad at everyone because criticism will come from within your organization and outside your organization. Review the criticism from an objective point of view and you may realize that the critics are making valid points. Now there are some criticisms that are very personal and not constructive, and I do have a problem with that. No one should be attacking any leader personally even if it is your opponent. Based on the criticism, you should be able to identify what is constructive and what is personal. Do not even get mad at personal attacks. Stay focused and do your job. If the criticism is not personal, you must think of the criticism as an attack on the role or the organization. Therefore, no matter who is in the role, attacks will come. Of course, you will be compared to other leaders but that is a distraction. Accept that no two people are the same.

Do not stay quiet either

While I do not think leaders need to respond directly to the criticism, I don’t think leaders should remain silent either. I think leaders need to communicate and set the record straight in a diplomatic way. When you remain silent, some people will take if for granted that the criticisms are accurate.

That is why it is important to communicate even before the criticism starts. Never take it for granted that people know the truth when it was never communicated.

Confide in a trusted person

Leadership can be very lonely. Engage with a mentor to find a trusted friend or family member you can talk to because criticism can have a mental impact on you especially if the criticism is coming from someone on your management team or within your organization. It is ok to talk to someone. Do not feel like you are not a great leader. You are a human and you have feelings.

Conclusion

You may feel like quitting because of the criticism. Perhaps that is what the critics want to you do. However, do not quit especially if you know for sure that the position you are in is where you supposed to be right now. Just remember that the role you are in comes with criticism.