Some of my college students are hyper concerned about how people view them – and like all of us, facing criticism is not a pretty thing.

That’s why I was fascinated to see what Apple CEO Tim Cook does to combat all the criticism he personally gets.

No matter what Cook has done (watches, AirPods, keeping Macs and phones popular, building a strong Apple ecosystem making it easy for users to use and even banking that is the silent killer ahead for Apple) – he is constantly compared with his bigger than life predecessor, Steve Jobs.

Cook is quoted as saying “I had to do was to be the best version of myself.”

So how does he process all that high profile criticism?

“I try very hard not to take things personal that I don’t think are meant to be personal.”

Even when criticism is offered subtly, it is hard to take.

So don’t – dismiss it as someone else’s opinion while you continue to follow your best instincts.