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Correction or Control? The Quiet Impact of Public Accountability in Teams

 

Some of the most damaging moments in a workplace don’t happen in formal reviews. They happen in team chats.

 

A message gets dropped publicly. A mistake is addressed in front of everyone. A reminder is sent - but it lands with the weight of assumption.

 

And just like that, someone who needed support walks away carrying blame.

 

The intention might’ve been a lesson. But the impact? Silence. Shame. Or worse - detachment.

 

Here’s the thing: accountability matters. But so does timing, tone, and setting.

 

Feedback is most powerful when it’s rooted in clarity - not assumption. When it invites growth - not performance.

 

Because there’s a big difference between:

• A reflective nudge in private
• And a correction that feels like public discipline
   

When people feel exposed instead of guided, trust erodes. Not just in the leader - but in the safety of the space itself.

 

And once that’s gone? The real damage begins.

 

People stop sharing. They stop questioning. They shrink their presence to avoid being next.

 

That’s not accountability. That’s fear dressed in professionalism.

 

So ask yourself this:

• Are you correcting to support growth - or to relieve your own discomfort?
• Are you leading with presence - or reacting from pressure?

 

Because sustainable leadership isn’t about controlling the narrative. It’s about creating spaces where people feel safe enough to own the full story.

 

Mistakes aren’t the problem. But how we respond to them? That tells people everything about our culture.

 

Reflection

• Has someone in your team gone quiet after a public correction?
• Are you assuming they’re disengaged - or are they just protecting their dignity?

 

 

 

✍🏼 Written by Abigail Richard

Founder of arickard | Coach & Consultant | Author of Self-Love Blueprint & Unbreakable. Supporting leaders and changemakers to regulate their nervous system, gain clarity, and find calm - so they can lead with presence, purpose, and emotional depth.

 

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