Sharon Olivier

There’s an inner critic within all of us that – unchecked – poses a threat to our resilience and well-being. The question is, how do you move it from being your inner critic to your inner coach?

In her work, Sharon Olivier, Professor of Practice in Leadership and Management at Hult International Business School, uses the metaphor of the black widow spider to describe the inner critic that lives within us all. Like a dangerous spider, your inner critic spins a web out of your insecurities: ‘I’m not safe, I’m not good enough, I don’t belong’. If somebody touches any strand of that web that’s connected to these insecurities, it causes the black widow spider – your inner critic – to overreact. 

In research that Olivier is currently conducting, she's examining the role that this inner critic plays in workplace stress, exploring the difference between those who appear resilient, while others tip into burnout.

Your inner critic never goes away completely, but there are ways you can manage it:  

• What can you do for your people? Become more curious about your people’s natural strengths and values. Finding ways to flex jobs around talent, rather than the other way round, minimizes feelings of misalignment and reduces the chances of provoking their inner critics.  
  
  

• What can you do for yourself? Noticing the voice of your inner critic when it’s triggered is the first step. This allows you to pause, question your feelings, and then pivot away from self-criticism into a more self-aware and observant frame of mind. 

As Olivier explains, the ability to shift the inner critic into an inner coach is a key skill. Immersive learning and coaching can be instrumental in helping people developing their sense of self-awareness.