When you’re on the receiving end of blistering feedback, the LEAD strategy will help you move past anger or embarrassment and on to positive action. The letters remind you to:

• Listen. Don’t be too quick to defend your actions—you will miss hearing the speaker’s full message. When you hear the other person out, you will learn whether the feedback has any merit.
• Empathize. The speaker will calm down if you react without defensiveness. So even if you don’t agree with the criticism, find something you can empathize with.
• Apologize if you’re at fault.
• Do something. When the speaker finishes, ask “Do you have any advice about what I could have done differently?” That moves the person into a more constructive mode.