The Cost of Public Feedback: What Tua Tagovailoa Teaches Leaders About Saying the Right Thing the Right Way
Leadership is often revealed not in what is said, but how, when, and where it is said.
That reality came into sharp focus when Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, publicly expressed frustration after a late-season loss, criticizing teammates for missing voluntary film sessions and questioning locker room accountability. The comments sparked immediate discussion, internal reflection, and a swift response from head coach Mike McDaniel. Tagovailoa later acknowledged the misstep and apologized.
Although the incident itself is not new, the leadership lesson remains deeply relevant, especially for leaders who care about feedback, trust, and culture. Viewed through the RA-RA Feedback Model—Ready, Align, Reflect, Adjust—this moment becomes a powerful case study in how the way feedback is delivered often determines whether it builds culture or fractures it.
Ready: Feedback Only Works When People Are Prepared to Receive It
Feedback requires readiness! From the outside looking in, Tagovailoa skipped a critical first step. It did not appear that teammates were prepared for the feedback or expected it. They had no opportunity to engage with it while being delivered in the public space. Public accountability can feel decisive, but when readiness is absent, it often triggers defensiveness rather than growth.
Align: Feedback Must Serve the Mission, Not the Moment
At its core, Tagovailoa’s concern was valid: preparation matters. Standards matter and accountability are critical to organizational success. However, alignment was lost. Once feedback becomes public, it shifts from serving team improvement to fueling narrative. What could have been a standards-based conversation instead felt like a grievance aired under frustration. Aligned feedback connects behavior to shared goals. Misaligned feedback feels personal, even when it isn’t meant to be.
Reflect: Feedback Is a Dialogue, Not a Declaration
Effective feedback creates space for reflection on both sides. Public feedback eliminates dialogue, creating a one-way transmission rather than a shared examination of standards and expectations. Teammates had no opportunity to explain context, discuss barriers, or co-own the solution. To his credit, Tagovailoa later reflected on his approach. That self-awareness mattered and signaled a humility and willingness to learn.
Adjust: Repairing Trust Is Part of Leadership
What happened next is often overlooked but it may be the most important part of the story.
Following the incident:
Tagovailoa acknowledged that going public was a mistake.
Leadership emphasized handling accountability internally.
The team reportedly recommitted to closed-door communication and collective standards.
That is adjustment in action.
Leaders will misstep and teams will experience friction. What separates healthy cultures from brittle ones is the ability to adjust and move forward in a positive direction.
The Larger Leadership Lesson
The Dolphins’ situation illustrates a universal truth: Even correct feedback can become counterproductive if delivered at the wrong time, in the wrong way, or through the wrong channel.
The RA-RA model exists to prevent exactly this outcome.
Ready ensures people can receive the message.
Align keeps feedback anchored to purpose.
Reflect transforms critique into conversation.
Adjust turns learning into action and repairs trust when necessary.
About the Author
Clayton Thompson, Ph.D., is a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force with over 20 years of leadership experience. He is the author of the upcoming book RA-RA Feedback: It’s Not a Moment. It’s a System! for building trust, accelerating growth, and creating a leadership advantage.
