Having your subordinates think you’re dismissive is a risk when you’re SVP, and it’s one with a blurrier line.

Plenty of people would have come away from this interaction without the level of introspection the author had, and thought, “Man, that SVP is a jerk.” This can add up into frustration and, given time, turnover.

My claim wasn’t that SVP was ineffective - the point was clearly made and understood.

My claim is that it would have taken slightly more words to get that point across without any reputational downside to the SVP.

Whether that cost is worth paying is a question of culture and style.