Often such experiences promote humility and protect us from
vainglory. For then we seek God’s witness in the heart.” Thomas,
of course, was a saint, more concerned about refining his soul
than developing his leadership. But his insight about the astrin-
gent value of unfair criticism also applies to leaders.
Criticisms are an ingredient in the leadership mixture we’re
forced to deal with; courageous and intelligent response can lift us
to a new level. Our first reaction to critics may be to blast them, but
like a quarterback under pressure, an effective leader looks for the
opportunities this opens up and develops alternate strategies.Expect to Be Criticized
Leadership, by definition, means change, which makes criticism
inevitable. Even if the road ahead is progress, change produces dis-
equilibrium, uncertainty, and a reluctance to part with the past.
Fred Smith points out that a leader must expect criticism
much as an Olympian would expect and plan for pain. “I listened
to Bob Richards, the Olympic gold medalist, interview younger
Olympic winners of the gold,” said Fred. “He asked them, ‘What
did you do when you began to hurt?’
“None of these Olympians was surprised by the question; all
had a specific way of handling the pain. After the interviews, I
asked Bob why he had asked about handling pain, and he said,
matter-of-factly, ‘You never win the gold without hurting.’
“Likewise, every leader has to develop a plan for handling crit-
icism, because criticism will come in
any dynamic organization.”
Leaders like Billy accept the chal-
lenge of criticism rather than let it
become a threat. Jerry Beavan, an early
Graham associate, recalls the time he
was upset at someone who had
attacked Billy. “I was really mad,” he told us. “I was talking to
Billy and said, ‘Bill, they can’t say these things about you!’ He
said, ‘Jerry, they’re not talking about you! Why should you get
mad?’ Billy stayed positive.”
Loving Harsh CriticsLeaders take people where
they want to go. A great
leader takes people where
they don’t necessarily want to
go, but ought to be.
ROSALYNN CARTER