Leading Through Criticism: What They Don’t Teach You About Running a Mission-Driven Business

You prepare for audits. You prepare for state compliance, staff turnover, burnout, and budget meetings. But no one prepares you for the moment when your integrity is questioned publicly. No one prepares you for the weight of criticism when it comes from people you once trusted, worked alongside, maybe even supported through their own storms. 

That’s the part they don’t talk about when you start a mission-driven business. 

As a founder and CEO of a behavioral health agency, I’ve weathered my fair share of storms. Financial struggles. Regulatory complexity. The impossible demand to serve more with less. But nothing has challenged my spirit more than watching narratives get twisted,

assumptions shared as facts, and anonymous voices try to dismantle something built with sweat, sacrifice, and purpose. 

This isn’t a blog about one situation. It’s about what happens to leadership when things get loud. 

The Reality of Reputation in the Digital Age 

In today’s world, public perception moves faster than truth. One anonymous post can spark a wildfire of judgment. Even when it’s rooted in partial truths or personal bitterness, it spreads, because negativity travels quickly, especially when there’s no face behind it. 

But for leaders, especially in human services or mission-driven work, the stakes are higher. We’re not just protecting a brand. We’re trying to hold a space for people, often vulnerable ones, to heal, grow, and find hope. And when that space gets shaken by gossip, defamation, or unresolved resentment, it doesn't just hurt us. It creates fear, confusion, and disruption for the very people we exist to serve. 

The Emotional Weight of Leadership 

Most people don’t talk about how leadership feels.

The isolation. The responsibility. The pressure to hold it all together, for your team, your clients, your community. 

And when something like this happens, when people start attacking your character rather than your decisions, you start to carry a different kind of burden. Not just financial or legal. Emotional. You question what you can say. Who you can trust. Whether vulnerability in leadership is even safe anymore. 

And yes, I still deal with that. It doesn’t go away just because you’re experienced or resilient. I still feel the weight of knowing that things I say in confidence might get repeated. I still wrestle with the fact that the loudest critics are often the ones who did the least—those who didn’t step up when the work got hard, but had the most to say when accountability finally showed up. 

What hurts most is that we try to create environments that are more flexible, more compassionate, more human. And too often, it’s that flexibility that gets taken advantage of. Not by everyone. But usually by the same ones who eventually paint you as the villain for finally asking for results. 

Unfortunately, this is all too familiar to leaders, especially those trying to do business differently. 

But I believe vulnerability in leadership is still necessary. It has to be. 

What I’ve Learned  (The Hard Way) 

Transparency matters, but discernment is key. You can be open without bleeding in public. Speak clearly, but don’t overshare out of pain. 

Most criticism isn’t about you. It’s about unhealed parts of others. That doesn’t excuse it, but it puts it in perspective. 

Silence is sometimes stronger than a defense. When the crowd wants drama, don’t give them a stage. Focus on your people. 

Your team is watching how you lead in the dark. Stay grounded. Stay consistent. Be the calm you wish others would offer. 

You can care deeply and still protect your peace. It’s not weakness to feel hurt. It’s human. But staying in mission even while hurting, that’s leadership. 

To My Fellow Leaders 

If you’re reading this and you’ve ever felt crushed by opinions, overwhelmed by noise, or betrayed by those you thought were with you, you’re not alone.

Running a business, especially one built around people and purpose, will stretch you. It will expose you. And at times, it will try to break you. 

But it will also shape you. 

Let the fire refine your focus. Let the noise sharpen your values. Let the hurt remind you why empathy matters. 

Leadership isn’t about being untouched. It’s about staying present when you’d rather disappear. 

THAT'S WHAT I'M CHOOSING. And if you’re in this space, I hope you do too.