Developing a Thicker Skin as a Leader

Abstract

Healthcare leaders and their employees do extremely important work. And yet, doing just about anything important means that we will need to cope with at least some amount of criticism and nay-saying. Although we can’t disregard negative feedback and live in our own fairytale world, we also can’t let other people’s comments derail us from our goals. This article highlights the differences between external and internal expectations, and underscores the importance of weighting each appropriately. It offers healthcare professionals 15 practical strategies for thickening their skin, and what to do when they find their skin thinning. This article also explores why human beings tend to take things personally, and what to do about it. Finally, it suggests 10 ways that healthcare leaders and their employees can thicken their skin against criticism.