[SavantIdiot]

> I always give my team mates accolades and offer them excuses when they've messed up: "

I like that a lot!

Engineers almost always know when they've screwed up. No need to thunk people over the head: I've been thunked (and screamed at, and threatened, and humiliated) so many times that I made sure that bullshit ended with my management style.* Unless they do it repeatedly, or are totally unaware... those are some of the worst types of situations for me personally as a manager.

* to the best of my knowledge: blindspots abound, esp. across cultures.