Do You Have Rhino Skin?

In his book, The Other 90%, author Robert Cooper suggests that we all need to develop the skin of a rhino in order to truly reach our untapped potential. The reasoning behind this he explains is because rhinos have thick skin. And, having a thin skin often increases troubles in life and distracts us from the bigger picture of what is truly important such as achieving our goals. The following are some suggestions the author offers in his book that will help us develop rhino skins.

1. Don’t Take Things Personally

It is an inevitable fact; we cannot please everyone in life. Nearly always someone in our life is upset or angry at us and that’s okay. We must understand that often when people are upset it is not about us but usually about them. Human beings by nature are also fickle, dynamic, unreasonable, emotional, and passionate and thus often distort reality, get caught up in the heat of the moment, or do not say what they truly mean. Taking things personally is senseless when we realize we are all human and we all have different opinions. Hence, trying to please everyone will result in unnecessary stress, and frustration. Avoiding taking things personally will simplify our lives and make us happier.

2. Carefully Analyze Feedback

It is easy to jump to conclusion or feel any form of feedback is criticism since so often feedback is given in ineffective ways and inappropriate manners. However, when receiving feedback from others, we must remain as objective as possible. We must strive to determine if the feedback truly is based on genuine concern and support as often is the case. With this feedback, we must discover, accept, and embrace the truth that may be there and then use that feedback constructively to motivate us to improve our performance and be better people.

If we feel feedback is blatant negative criticism, we should let it go and not internalize it. We do not need to let others weaken our inner confidence through criticism or disrupt our focus on our goals. And we cannot afford to be offended, hold a grudge, or try to get even when we receive this criticism since doing so will only slow us down in maximizing our potential.

3. Talk Straight

What this simply means is that we need to tell the truth as this is what builds trusting relationships. We also should not withhold information for fear of the impact it may have on others. By talking straight we will save time and break down barriers that often impede otherwise successful relationships. Doing this often means we trust others with our true thoughts, opinions, and feelings and this is scary because people will likely disagree with us. However, sharing our truth will allow us to be stronger leaders and live more in harmony with our true selves.

So, do we have rhino skin? Developing rhino skin by following these three steps found in The Other 90% will truly make us more effective and successful individuals and leaders. Learning to not take things personally, carefully analyzing feedback, and talking straight will certainly make us unique in today’s society yet it will help us achieve our full potential.