Thank you, Lee. It is a great question!

For someone with humility, you need to be discerning when receiving feedback.

While star critics may vary by how they deliver their message (direct, gentle, unsolicited, solicited, informal, business-like, etc.), the common traits would be their good intent and objective and meaningful observation. It is also essential that they are also in the arena so that they can give you quality feedback. These common traits may not be what you can expect from a horrible boss.

I had my share of horrible bosses. They were usually too occupied by concerns for their own career safety and growth. It was important for them that I delivered results so THEY could WIN. However, they did not have the capacity, (managerial, leadership, technical) competency or care enough to support me. Their feedback could range from outlandish to may-be-useful. I believe that you can guess where it landed most on the scale. Also, they did not believe in a feedback culture when they were on the receiving end. Can you resonate? How do you define a horrible boss?

My star critic in the story had nothing to gain from my self-improvement. It was her pure curiosity, concern and wanting to see me thrive. We were in the same department and worked closely together. These factors put her in a position to observe my working style first-hand and understand the workplace dynamics. Still, I remained discerning when receiving her feedback.