If someone called you and said they wanted to have a chat to give you some feedback, and you’re like most of the population, you would likely assume the worst. This would be irrespective of your seniority and how much experience you have. We are all a little crazy like that. It’s because we are wired to think in deficits. The technical term is a ‘negative bias’.
Seeing gaps and opportunities is one of the things that makes you a great leader. In fact, your brain is wired to stay in the trap of anticipating bad news. Yet if you stay in this high alert space, at all times, it will not serve you. Because you will assume the worst and then go down a rabbit warren of being constantly on your guard or defensive or even retreating.