If you\u2019re a leader, you\u2019re going to attract critics. I say this from experience as an author, public speaker, entrepreneur, and CEO. It goes with the territory. But let\u2019s be honest: criticism stings.<\/p>\n\n
Theoretically, I know if you put an idea or product out in the world, it\u2019s just the price you pay. But emotionally, it knocks me off-kilter almost every single time.<\/p>\n\n
You might think I would be past that. But I\u2019m not. I\u2019ve been known to worry<\/a> over disapproval and spend way more time thinking about it than I ought to. (Just ask my wife!)<\/p>\n Of course, criticism isn\u2019t all bad. It can help us improve our ideas, our products, and even ourselves.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s only true if we can properly evaluate the complaint and determine if the source is a friend, a critic, or just a troll. Distinguishing between the three is critical because we need to interact with them differently.<\/p>\n Here are the key differences, and what they mean for how you handle them.<\/p>\n Some people are in our lives to save us from ourselves. These people want what is best for us and our organizations, and we ought to encourage them to be critical for our betterment. As the proverb reminds us, \u201cFaithful are the wounds of a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n The trick is to create an environment safe for dissent<\/a> so they know it\u2019s okay to speak up. Beyond that, we need to honor their willingness by listening to their criticism.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s warranted, it\u2019s only right to fix the situation and thank them for looking out for us.<\/p>\n Some people decide that they disagree with us and go public. They aren\u2019t malicious. They aren\u2019t out to destroy us. They simply disagree with our ideas or find problems with our products.<\/p>\n Nothing wrong with that. Not everyone sees things the same way. Besides, we might learn something from the criticism. It can help us refine and improve what we\u2019re offering.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to engage these people and refrain from making it personal. How we deal with honest critics tells others a lot about us and our organizations.<\/p>\n These people have an agenda. They don\u2019t level their criticisms to help you or point out flaws in your product.<\/p>\n Instead, they are out to hurt you<\/a> and your organization\u2014or at least use you for their own ends. They want to lure you into a fight for their own amusement.<\/p>\n You may address their criticisms, but do not get drawn into long exchanges. It\u2019s usually best to ignore them, especially if they taunt and mock. If you engage them, they will only distract you and deplete your resources.<\/p>\n As someone once said, \u201cresistance only makes them stronger.\u201d You will never satisfy them. Just keep doing what you know you\u2019re called to do<\/a>.<\/p>\n As leaders, we must learn to distinguish between these three. If we confuse them, we\u2019ll divert our valuable time and resources from the customers who benefit most from what we offer.<\/p>\n Of course, integrity demands that we take warranted criticism seriously no matter the source. If it points out legitimate flaws or problems, we should be quick to address the issue.<\/p>\n\t\tTrue Friends<\/h3>\n
Honest Critics<\/h3>\n
Unhealthy Trolls<\/h3>\n
Handling Complaints<\/h3>\n