44 Lessons On How Leaders Successfully Deal With Critics

NorthStar Church’s senior pastor Mike Linch is one of my favorite leaders!!!  Today, I had the privilege of attending a monthly event entitled Lunch With A Leader.  This has become a must-attend luncheon for me and is growing exponentially.  Mike has a deep desire to see some of the most influential leaders in Acworth and Kennesaw, Ga come together each month to collectively make their city better by learning spiritual leadership principles.

With approximately 130 members of the city government, local schools, coaches, fire, police, and the business community in attendance at the church, Mike taught this high-capacity audience how to handle one of prices a leader must pay – dealing with criticism

There are very few pastors in America with the relational influence that could attract 130 leaders from their community to an event and be taught leadership.

The following are 44 Lessons On How Leaders Successfully Deal With Critics I gleaned from Mike’s session today.  All lessons below are quotes from Mike.

1. Part of leadership is criticism.
2. The question isn’t will you meet critics.  The question is what will you do when you meet critics.
3. I don’t think any profession faces as many critics as umpires.
4. God does not judge our abilities on how we look but who we are on the inside.
5. “If you can’t deal with criticism, you can’t lead.” – Dan Rockwell
6. Expect criticism.
7. David’s greatest critics was his own family.  The ones who expected the least from him were those closest to him.
8. It’s one thing to have critics who don’t know you that question your motives.  It’s another to have critics who do know you that question your motives.
9. “Criticism is something you can easily avoid – by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” – Aristotle
10. If we avoid criticism, we avoid advancement.
11. People will criticize you for whatever they want to criticize you for.
12. Your friends already believe you and your enemies never will.
13. “If you’re getting kicked in the rear, it means you’re out in front.” – John Maxwell
14. You’re not going to make everyone happy.  That can’t be your goal.
15. Part of leadership is moving out in front.
16. There’s not one person in the Bible who did anything for God and was not criticized.
17. A vision is big on what needs to be done but often short on how it can get done.
18. Great things always leave gaps.  Great vision always has great gaps.
19. Evaluate the criticism.
20. Is there anything I need to change?
21. Sometimes we don’t like criticism because our pride is too big?
22. The greatest vision God gives people will bless other people more than it will bless you.
23. God will put us in places to bless us if we’re obedient in the small things.
24. Always make your goal to please God and not your critics.
25. The greater the challenge you want to do for the Lord the greater the challenge you will face.
26. I hate critics.
27. “Courageous vulnerability eliminates blame and eradicates defensiveness.” – Rockwell
28. The more open you are the less people have to attack you with.
29. I wonder how many dreams died because a critic came to a leader and they stopped?
30. Refuse to retaliate.
31. One of the hardest things to do in leadership is the art of walking away.
32. When we retaliate you lower yourself to their ability.
33. Leadership is getting people on our agenda.  Spiritual leadership is getting people on God’s agenda.
34. When we retaliate we lower our standards and lesson our influence.
35. “You are most like Christ when you remain silent in criticism.” – Rick Warren
36. Our response in the face of criticism shows Christ more than at any other time.  The art of leadership is not burning bridges with those who criticize us.
37. Gentleness disarms critics.  People don’t know what to do with kindness.
38. Keep going.  Don’t stop.  Critics can turn our attention from where we were going.
39. There would have been no Goliath-killing if David would have listened to critics.
40. You may be done with critics today but there will be new ones tomorrow.
41. Keep going.  Nothing great has ever happened without a critic.
42. Critics have two goals – distraction and discouragement.
43. I’ve got more risk now at 49 than at 24.
44. What matters most is God’s view of you, not others.

What is one thing you learned from Mike’s session that will help you handle criticism better?

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