You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

How to Make Criticism Drive You These four steps will help business leaders overcome criticism and use it as a source of motivation.

By Nadia Goodman

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

When Richard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984, each of his competitors said he'd surely fail. Instead of backing down, Branson found creative ways to overcome each obstacle. Today, those critics are out of business and Branson is lauded as a visionary.

Many of the world's most successful business leaders were criticized -- even laughed at --when they first introduced their ideas. Instead of believing the naysayers, they used that criticism as motivation to succeed.

The best way to let criticism drive you is to be open to hearing it in the first place. Successful leaders know how to identify valid criticism and adapt accordingly. They use it to help them succeed.

When your ideas come under fire, here are four steps to help you and your company benefit:

1. Detach yourself emotionally. When you're passionate about an idea or you have a lot at stake, criticism causes a defensive gut reaction. "It's so easy to just write it off," says Thomas Plante, a Silicon Valley psychologist and professor at Santa Clara University. "But that's not going to be productive at the end of the day."

To take in criticism without letting it overwhelm you, look at the feedback as an outsider would. Rather than seeing it as a personal attack, see it as a piece of information that could help you strengthen your business.

Related: Inside the Successful Leader's Mindset

2. Filter out unproductive feedback. Some feedback simply isn't worth your time. Look at the critic's motivation. Are they trying to weed out competition? Are they jealous? Are they defending outdated ideas?

"We have to remind ourselves that nobody has magic answers, really," Plante says. Ultimately, you know what's best for your company. Trust your gut and stay focused on doing great work. Success is the best way to prove your critics wrong.

3. Consult with people you trust. For criticism that does come from a productive or genuine place (even if it seems harsh), give it some consideration. Evaluate it like any other business problem and talk it through with trusted colleagues in other companies or industries.

"Consult with people who don't always agree with you," Plante says. "You want to get advice from neutral parties." Without a personal investment in the company, they can offer diverse perspectives and help you decide how to respond.

Related: 4 Ways to Discover Your Strengths

4. See criticism as an opportunity to improve. If you decide the critique has merit, find creative ways to solve the problem. Use the criticism as a springboard to help you adapt and grow as a company. If you go in with an open mind, your solution may lead to an unexpected innovation. "The most tenacious people come back with a new idea or a slightly different idea," Plante says.

The better you know yourself, the easier this will be. "If you know who you are, you're centered, so you're more likely to listen to criticism," Plante says. "You can take criticism and compliments thoughtfully, sometimes with a grain of salt."

Nadia Goodman is a freelance writer in Brooklyn, NY. She is a former editor at YouBeauty.com, where she wrote about the psychology of health and beauty. She earned a B.A. in English from Northwestern University and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. Visit her website, nadiagoodman.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.

Innovation

Up to 90% of Startups Fail — But Innovation Accelerators Can Help Yours Succeed. Here's How.

Learn how innovation accelerators are powering startups, shortening time to market and increasing the survival rate of fledgling businesses.

Thought Leaders

How To Improve Your Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence in 7 Easy Steps

Using these simple but effective approaches will help a person in their business, life and relationships.

Business News

Uber Is Fixing One of the Biggest Complaints Families and Parents Have With the Company

Uber Car Seat is now available in New York and Los Angeles.

Business News

Founders of Companies Worth Over a Billion Dollars Have These Simple Things in Common

A new study found three traits that stood out in unicorn founders.

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.