"Be brutal in private" is not part of that trope though.
It is, it's just a different phrasing. I think you're reading more into "brutal" than blazespin intended. You might be more correct in your interpretation, but I'm pretty sure they just meant "blunt", not "vicious".
I'm pretty sure they just meant "blunt", not "vicious".
Let's hope you are correct.
Then here's some bluntness:
People who don't mean "brutal" shouldn't use the word "brutal".
"direct and lacking any attempt to disguise unpleasantness"
Seems fine.
You're mixing up your interpretation of "brutal" with theirs. Phrasing "mean brutal" implies there's an objective meaning. There isn't.
> "Criticize privately, praise publicly" is a well known management trope