Jeff, when everybody that can articulate a constructive argument was burned by the following cycle http://i.stack.imgur.com/fjiKd.png (not my creation) and just stopped caring, the only feedback that you will be able to get is from people that are upset but can not actually pinpoint to a specific technical issue and resort to "it is to serve automatic" paranoia based arguments. If you will ignore them as well because "they are not nice" what feedback will be left at all?

And leading attracts criticism. If you can't handle the criticism, then just don't lead. This is not directed at anyone in particular, some people are just better at not letting criticism take a mental tool on their lives, and you can not lead if any small criticism stalls you.