Hi Haters

Think of a great performer. Maybe an athlete, actor, or musician. Then, go ask 10 people if they are a fan of that person. What you’ll find is that opinions often vary (we just witnessed this with Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover—some think he’s a hero, while others think he’s a villain). The same is true for all of us. We don’t have to be all things to all people; greatness has haters.

So, what do we do with our haters? I think we need to wave at them. Smile. High-five them. Welcome them. Of course, we could also take the opposite approach. We could troll. Argue. Fight. Attack them. The key here is that we have options. For me, my first reaction is often to fight. It’s something like, “you’ll be sorry,” or “I’ll show you.” But I have found those approaches to be limited.

When we say hi to our haters, we disempower them. We work from the inside-out. It’s liberating. Truly. And remember if you want to do something that will have a big impact, it will surely come with criticism. That’s the way of the world. As we go towards greatness, let’s make sure to wave at the haters along the way.