Praise Publicly and Criticize Privately?

Group meetings may be the best place to deliver constructive feedback. Here’s why.

Matt Hunter • February 3, 2026

Most leaders follow the old adage “Praise publicly, criticize privately,” and for good reason. This approach protects morale, avoids public shaming, and makes it easier for feedback to land without triggering defensiveness.

It’s a rule that prioritizes psychological safety, and in many environments, it works well.

This is a solid rubric for what I call the Compassion Zone: a place many leaders operate from, prioritizing empathy, care, and psychological safety. In this zone, ambition is balanced with a healthy concern for relationships and well-being.

But if you want to take it to the next level, you may need to stretch yourself to explore some new ways of operating.

Successful leaders in what I call the Hardcore Zone share criticism in public. This is the toughest path, reserved for leaders who are relentless in pushing the limits of what’s possible. It’s uncomfortable, high-stakes, and raw. But if a team is fully bought in, it can unlock the highest level of performance.

Between the Compassion Zone and the extreme of the Hardcore Zone lies the Tough Enough Zone, a place where strength and force are balanced with compassion and humanity to produce optimal outcomes. This zone, in my estimation, is the sweet spot for most leaders. (If you’re interested in learning more, I have a book on this framework called Tough Enough: How to Lead a Team to Greatness Without Being a Jerk, co-authored with executive coach John Baird, coming out later this year. Stay tuned.)

Hardcore leaders like Jensen Huang and Elon Musk really lean into the practice of public criticism. At Nvidia, Huang is known for dispersing totally unfiltered feedback during company-wide meetings. In one instance, he called out a group of engineers in front of the whole room, slamming the product they’d presented and asking bluntly, “Is this the piece of shit you intended to build?”

Harsh? Absolutely. But effective? If the team can handle it, yes. It should also be noted that Jensen doesn’t do one-to-one meetings with any of his 60 direct reports, so the group setting is where feedback needs to happen.

As a leader operating in the Tough Enough or Compassion Zones, it’s worth studying how hardcore leaders do this so you can find the right way to apply it in your own business—tempered with kindness and empathy. In your case, calling a new prototype a “piece of shit” is likely not the right move. But you might consider pushing yourself to call out poor work, respectfully, in front of a large group, rather than only behind closed doors.

Why public criticism works (when done right):

1. Accountability is front and center. When feedback happens publicly, it reinforces a culture where mistakes and learning moments aren’t hidden; they’re happening in shared spaces. This signals that the stakes are high and everyone is responsible for upholding standards, and furthers a feedback-rich culture.
2. Collective learning. Public criticism isn’t just for the person receiving it—it becomes a teaching moment for the whole team. Everyone gets to see what excellence looks like (and what it doesn’t look like).
3. No secrets, no games. Public feedback eliminates the "he said, she said" dynamics that can fester in private-only feedback cultures. Everyone knows where they stand.

There’s a fine line here: Public criticism is not public shaming. Leaders who do feedback well know the difference between holding someone accountable and humiliating them. The goal isn’t to wound—it’s to make the message land and ensure the whole team benefits from the lesson. Admittedly, Hardcore leaders like Huang and Musk get this wrong every now and then.
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If the idea of calling someone out in front of the team feels too intense, here’s a gentler entry point: Invite public criticism of yourself. Ask your team to critique your decisions, your leadership, and even your mistakes—in front of everyone. This models vulnerability and shows that public feedback isn’t just top-down; it’s a shared practice.

At the end of the day, private criticism protects feelings. Public criticism elevates standards. Choose the path (and zone) that works for you.

Here are a few examples of public criticism done right, using the Tough Enough framework.

Scenario: A team presents a product prototype that misses key requirements.

Leader: "Alright, let’s talk about this prototype (Observation). I noticed that it’s missing two core features we outlined in the project brief—the user login and the notification system (Specific Observation). I’m concerned and frustrated because I need to ensure we’re delivering something that meets our clients’ expectations (Feeling & Need).

Let’s pause here. Can someone walk me through how we ended up here? (Invitation for Dialogue). My goal is for us to all learn from this and figure out how to close the gap before the delivery date."

Scenario: A team member gives a confusing presentation in a team meeting.

Leader: "Let’s debrief the presentation we just saw (Observation). When we were in the ‘market trends’ section, I was confused. I value clarity and want to make sure everyone walks away with a strong understanding of the message (Specific Observation, Feeling & Need).

[Presenter's Name], can you spell out what you’re really trying to share here? (Invitation for Dialogue). And for the group—what worked well, and what’s not working in this presentation? (Collective Reflection)"

Scenario: A team submits work that doesn’t meet quality expectations.

Leader: "I’m disappointed and frustrated because I value high quality (Feeling and Need). The data on slides 1 and 4 don’t match. The visuals throughout the whole presentation violate the branding guidelines (Specific Observation). This isn’t at the level I expect from this team. I’m frustrated because I know we’re capable of better, and I value attention to detail and excellence (Feeling & Need).

Let’s talk about what went wrong here. What do we need to tighten up before we present this to the client? (Request for Action). My goal is for us to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and I believe we can get there together."

Here’s how you solicit feedback well in front of a group.

Leader: "I want to take a moment and ask for some direct feedback on how I’ve been leading the team (Observation). I’m feeling curious and vulnerable because I know I have blind spots and I want to make sure I’m supporting you in the best way possible (Feeling & Need). Could you share what’s been working well for you in terms of my leadership and where you think I could improve? (Request).

Leader: "I sense the decision I made about [specific issue, e.g., reallocating resources, changing timelines] had an impact on the team (Observation). I’m feeling concerned because I want us to air any frustrations we may have (Feeling & Need).

Can you share how that decision affected your work and whether there’s anything I could have handled differently? (Request). I want to learn from this and make sure future decisions feel more aligned with the team’s needs."

And here is how you respond to the group once you’ve received feedback.

Leader: "Thank you for bringing that up—I really appreciate the honesty (Observation). I’m feeling gratitude and embarrassment right now because I know that kind of feedback helps me grow and shows that we have a team culture where honesty is valued (Feeling & Need).

Does anyone else have thoughts or perspectives they’d like to add? I want to make sure I’m hearing all sides before I reflect on how to move forward (Request)."