The Power of Staying Curious: Turning Criticism into Advice

You know the feeling—you’re sitting in a meeting, or chatting with a friend, and suddenly someone says something that feels like criticism. Your defenses go up, and your first thought is, “Well, that’s not helpful!”

But what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of hearing criticism, we heard advice—the kind that helps us grow?

The truth is, when we’re closed off, everything sounds like an attack. But when we’re open to learning, even criticism can be a nugget of wisdom wrapped in a tough package.

And that’s where curiosity comes in.

Being curious isn’t just about asking questions—it’s about being open to the possibility that someone else’s perspective might show us something we haven’t seen before.

Not every piece of advice is going to be life-changing (let’s be real, we’ve all gotten some advice we’d rather forget), but staying open means we’re willing to sift through it to find the gems.

This is why it’s so important to be deliberate about the voices we let in. Who we surround ourselves with matters! We need people who challenge us, support us, and yes, sometimes give us that tough feedback we need to hear.

But let’s not stop there—if we only listen to the same people who think just like us, we fall into the trap of groupthink or confirmation bias. We hear what we already believe and miss out on the opportunity to grow.

So, let’s make sure we have a diversity of voices around us—people who bring different perspectives, experiences, and ideas. Then we don’t just grow in the same old direction. We get stretched, challenged, and ultimately become better leaders, teammates, and people.

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to avoid criticism; it’s to turn it into the kind of advice that pushes us forward.

Stay curious, stay open, and keep growing!