As a leader, you can’t just shift the blame to someone else when it comes to criticism or failure. Instead, you must use it constructively to move the organization and yourself forward.
It’s important to have the confidence and self-awareness to handle criticism with grace. This can be done through both admitting and learning from your mistakes. However, it’s also important to consider where the criticism is coming from and that not all criticism is equal. Here are a few tips to help leaders be better at handling criticism.
Don’t Ignore It, Learn From It
Instead of ignoring criticism, try to use it as an opportunity to improve and develop. It can be helpful to identify areas of concern or even help you fine-tune a project. However, ignoring it completely is not an ideal strategy. Instead, try to handle it calmly and effectively.
Don’t Take Criticism Personally
It’s natural for leaders to respond to criticism and feedback in a negative manner. This can be very detrimental to their career as it can prevent them from developing as a leader. Instead, try to take the feedback and figure out what you can do better. Instead of saying “I don’t do that”, say something along the lines of “I didn’t realize I did this, is there anything I can do better in the future”.
Think About Your Response
When we receive criticism, it can be easy to have a knee-jerk reaction that may make the situation worse. Instead, try to be mindful of how you respond and avoid making hasty decisions. This can be done by taking a step back and assessing the situation before reacting. By thinking before you speak, you’ll be able to respond in a respectful way that shows you’re listening and that you care about that person’s input.
Own Up To Mistakes
Easily one of the most important aspects of taking criticism as a leader is ensuring that you own up to your mistakes. Being able to own up to a mistake shows that you care about your role and you understand that you’re not perfect. Much like many other facets of life, being a leader is something that is a constant learning process and practically impossible to perfect, so be sure to acknowledge when you’ve messed up so you can avoid similar criticisms in the future.