“Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it” – Psalm 141:5a
Before any of you decide to pull your money away from me, let me be clear that, NO, this verse is not endorsing abuse. When I initially read this verse, it struck me (no pun intended) as an important consideration because it’s referring to something that most of us do not like to receive, which is criticism.
There are certain things in life that ensure success: hard work, discipline, diligence, integrity, and patience. Another key factor in success is the ability to accept criticism. Criticism, while something none of us ever wants to receive, is vital to being great. Talent or skill may open doors, but blind spots and flaws can keep you stuck just outside your potential. Critique exists to expose those blind spots. It hurts to be corrected, but if you take it in and act on it, you strip away the weaknesses holding you in place and position yourself for greater success than you imagined. Refuse the critique, and you stay stagnant. The truth is simple: the enemy of greatness is a stubborn heart that resists correction; the friend of greatness is a humble heart willing to receive it.
By now, I am sure most of you have heard of the Cracker Barrel logo fiasco. For those of you who are unaware, Cracker Barrel recently decided to update their logo. Let’s just say that the change was not received well by the public. I can assure you, a rebrand is not something that a company decides to do on a whim. Oftentimes, they spend thousands, and sometimes millions, of dollars conversing with marketing companies to determine how they should remodel. Therefore, it would have been effortless for the Cracker Barrel executives to double down and refuse to change. Rather than allowing their ego to dictate their decisions, they adhered to the negative feedback and reversed their logo change decision.
This doesn’t mean that every criticism that you receive is warranted or even good criticism. There is a level of discernment that a person must make whenever they’re receiving criticism. It is important whenever we are being criticized, to make an honest self-assessment and examine whether the critique is in fact warranted. So, before you automatically reject what you are hearing, take a step back and reflect.
If you want to be a person that can take criticism, you must be willing to surround yourself with people who can give a wise rebuke. In other words, don’t surround yourself with a bunch of “yes” men. Surround yourself with a bunch of wise men. “Yes” men tell you what you want to hear, wise men tell you what you need to hear. The type of person who may bring you valuable criticism can be a coworker, a friend, a boss, a subordinate, a trusted client, your spouse, or even your children. Sometimes, the wisest critique can come from the unlikeliest of people.
There are plenty of times when a necessary critique isn’t delivered in the best tone. Someone may give you the exact feedback you need, but the way they say it makes it tempting to dismiss. Don’t make that mistake. Instead of writing off a poorly worded rebuke, pause and consider the substance behind it. If the core of the critique is valid—no matter how much it stings—embrace it. An ego bruise is a small price to pay for growth. Don’t let a rough delivery keep you from making the very change that could unlock your next level of success.
“Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” – Proverbs 27:5-6
If you want to become successful, you must be disciplined, patient, have integrity, and embrace criticism. We are all imperfect. Therefore, everything we try to do will be imperfect. While it is impossible to build the “perfect business”, a person who chooses to embrace a timely and loving rebuke will do far better in eliminating the flaws and moving towards success than a person who closes their ears to them. So, as you continue to work towards success, embrace the criticism that comes your way. Those may be the words that unleash the success you’ve been striving for.