Ancient observation: The reward for doing a hard thing well is the opportunity to do more and harder things.
I wish someone had explained this to me very early in the work life: The more successful you are, the bigger your range of responsibilities become, the more negative feedback and criticism you will receive. Yes, you’ll get positive feedback, too, but realistically the number of critics around you will increase.
This can mess with your head, which hinders your ability to lead well. Therefore, you need to engineer a regular ‘cleansing ritual’ for this. It can be meditation, prayer, whatever helps you process and release the negative. Your critics often have a point, and one of the best ‘cleansing’ strategies is to convert their criticism into energizing action going forward.
Remember: The goal is being respected as you deliver results. The goal is not being liked above all else, by everyone.
