Let's imagine a scenario for a minute.
You own a home that you want to sell. So you hire a real estate agent to come to your home and tell you how much they would advise you to sell it for.
After about thirty minutes in your home, they start to present some paperwork to you talking about the comparables in the neighborhood. They start showing you some market data, along with homes that are for sale in the neighborhood. After their presentation ends, they tell you that they recommend listing the home for $500K.
You gasp at the idea since you paid $1.2M for the house ten years prior, and your friend down the street sold for $1.7M earlier this year.
They explain that they think you should focus on selling the house quickly, and that the value of the home isn't what you think it is.
You decide to part ways, and you hire a second agent. This agent values your home at $1.8M, and you sell the home within months.
You had a choice. You could have allowed the previous agent to de-value your home, costing you over a million dollars worth of value, or you could have chosen to get a second opinion like you did, and ensure you protected your value.
This scenario happens every day in the workplace.
We allow shitty leaders to de-value us, allowing us to think we're not good at our job, we have no skills, and we should probably find a new career altogether.
We allow these leaders to do this when we listen to their criticism or feedback that is off-base, or when we listen to a leader who we don't value in the first place.
Why give a shitty leader the power to cause you to feel like you're not valued when you don't value their opinions to begin with?
One of the better quotes I've recently read is, "Don't listen to the feedback of people whose opinion you would never seek in the first place."
This mindset shift is crucial in protecting your own value in the workplace. Just as you wouldn't take a lowball offer on a property you know is worth more, you shouldn't let a leader with poor judgment define your worth. If someone's feedback doesn't align with the value you know you bring, it's okay to question it. Sometimes, the issue isn't with your skills or abilities — it's with the limited perspective of the person providing the feedback.
Instead, seek opinions from people you respect and admire, those who truly understand your skills and potential. A mentor, trusted colleague, or former boss who genuinely values your contributions can provide constructive feedback that supports your growth rather than diminishing your self-worth. These are the perspectives worth listening to because they offer a fair and balanced view of what you bring to the table.
At the end of the day, you're in control of your own value. Surround yourself with leaders who lift you up, respect your talents, and encourage your development. Don't let anyone's limited viewpoint cause you to question your worth or derail your career. Just as you protected the value of your home in that hypothetical scenario, protect the value of your career by ensuring that only the right voices are shaping your journey.