Many years ago, I concluded: (1) What others think of me is none of my business; and (2) Never allow yourself to be defined by someone else's opinion of you. That being said, we are in a constant energy dance with ourselves and others towards higher understanding. It requires a great deal of courage and self-awareness to take responsibility for our behaviour and acknowledge how it might impact the world around us.
My lengthy career has involved providing strategic advice and counsel to public and private sector leaders around the world. What they all share is a willingness to explore, admit, and rectify where they've fallen short. Those sessions are not always happy occasions, but they are straightforward, not taken personally, and all parties emerge from the room ready for a cigar, scotch, game of squash, or rounds of golf.
The belief that one is in an ivory hierarchical tower and beyond reproach is sorely misplaced. Imperfection is not synonymous with a fatally flawed personal or business model. Validate the origin of advice, but embrace opportunities to learn about and improve methodology, leadership, or process efficiency.