> People don't like ultimatums. Even if they accede to them, their trust in the person will decline, and they'll be thinking twice about putting that person in a critical role.
I disagree again. It doesn’t have to be an ultimatum. If it’s delivered as one then what you describe will likely happen.
If a valued employee has an outside offer and brings it up tactfully with their manager it doesn’t have to be so binary as you position it to be.
You can accept a counter at your current employer, erode no trust and continue to do well there. Clearly yourself and none of your colleagues have experienced what I describe which is a shame.
To be clear, if you ever bring up an offer to your current boss you should always be willing to accept it in the event negotiations to stay are not fruitful