Mastering Criticism

I was presenting to the executive team when it happened.

My carefully prepared slides were projecting on the screen behind me as I walked the C-suite through our stakeholder messaging strategy for the upcoming quarter. I'd spent weeks analyzing the data, crafting compelling narratives, and practicing my delivery.

Then the department head interrupted me mid-sentence.

"This entire approach is completely wrong," he said, his voice carrying across the boardroom. "We tried something similar three years ago, and it was a disaster. I'm surprised you didn't know that."

Twenty pairs of eyes shifted from his face to mine. The room went silent. My heart pounded in my chest as I felt my face flush with heat.

In that moment, I had a choice: I could either crumble under the public criticism, get defensive and argue back, or handle it in a way that would actually elevate my standing in the room.

What I did next changed the trajectory of my career—and taught me the most valuable lesson about handling criticism I've ever learned.

But before I tell you what happened, let me ask you: How do YOU typically respond when someone criticizes your work? Your ideas? Your approach?