Twitter didn't respond immediately to a request for comment on Musk's shake-up when this story was originally published in November. An autocratic leader relies on their own decisions. Tesla's Elon Musk recently demonstrated such awareness by pledging to . If that doesnt keep him busy enough, hes also founded lesser-known companies like Neuralink (a neurotechnology company) and The Boring Company (focused on infrastructure and tunnels for transportation). Under his leadership, Apple . There are plenty of legends and tall tales about Musks obsessive personality and workaholic tendencies. Get started for free with personal (or team) coaching. He compares his duty as oxygen. Musk encouraged and motivated his team with saying, For my part, I will never give up and I mean never. Imagine digging into challenging projects that impact lives in meaningful ways, showcasing your talents in a culture that honors inclusion, growth, and the autonomy to work the way you work best. Another word thats often used to describe Musk? Most Twitter employees would be able to get another job relatively easily. Internal Environmental factors Organizational culture: According to the case Elon Musk's leadership style and personality had a significant impact on Twitter's organizational culture. He has the skill of finding the talent by putting the employees in roles that are natural to their behavioral attributes. Our programs were designed by world-renowned coaches. . Musk is a mastermind and thus discerns that, it values him while he pays attention to what his critics, customers, observers, and followers have articulated. Our post was a discussion on the Leadership Qualities, Skills, and Styles of Elon Musk. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Reverse engineer the outcomes of your potential solutions to make the best choice. For example, is there a particular boundary those in your industry say cant be crossed? The message here is not one of doom and gloom. Elon Musk Leadership Assembles the Right Team. Steve Black, chief strategy officer of Topia, asserts that the fully in-office policy is a dangerous talent strategy for other companies to implement. Here are two case studies of autocratic leadership styles. Gavin . He has an uncanny ability to think of solutions. Articulating a powerful vision is one of his leadership skill that also made him a successful leader. He is totally obsessed with his duty. Everyone in Tesla is in an abusive relationship with Elon, a past executive told writer Charles Duhigg. International Review of Management and Business Research, (2). Elon Musk's tactics are diametrically opposed to what evidenced-based research findings and expert opinions recommend. The company's measurement of its employee performance is based on its productivity and the number of cars produced or the number of inquiries catered to and complaints handled. Dolly Singh, former HR head at SpaceX, says about Elon Musk, "The thing that makes Elon Elon is his ability to make people believe in his vision." Elon Musk quote: The problem is that at a lot of big companies, process becomes a substitute for thinking. Period, said Jim Cantrell, the first engineer at SpaceX. These are key characteristics of an autocratic leader: Leader tells people what to do Leader is not open to inputs from other employees The employee said the experience was challenging, but they came out of it 10 times smarter.. The unique way he thinks about challenges is what allows him to do this. His fast-acting nature offers some benefits in terms of business growth and innovation, but they can also serve as a point of frustration for his team. De-risk investment, identify high performing founders & teams, identify blind spots, benchmark against successful founders. Its a tough lesson., Relevant F4S motivations: activity, automatic, initiation. He is an autocratic who doesn't ask for suggestions. I mean you just have to put in 80 to 100 hour weeks every week. Close the gap between your great ideas and taking action on them. Otherwise, its not., There have to be reasons that you get up in the morning and you want to live. Musk's leadership style is similar to that of Steve Jobs. Keywords: Leadership, Elon Musk, United States LEADERSHIP . This reminds me of a quote I once heard, "Make a decision and then make it right.". Vroom's theory can also emphasise this in being successful by having the right type of access to machinery and tools." Interested in learning more about Elon Musk and his companies? In the same Business Insider article, another former team member explained that even when there were disagreements with Musk, he was right 90 percent of the time. 1. Later in 2013, he introduced Hyperloop transport concept, where people are hurdled through a tube, in a personal capsule, at the speed of over 750 mph. He is the CEO & CTO of Tesla Motors, which builds electric cars. According to him, this special philosophy is maintaining unique standards of excellence and clearing predictable paths of progress. He was also a man with a wonderful vision. Twitter and Tesla have been strong, well-known brands. Cadigan said Twitter under Musk seemed to lack psychological safety and trust, which Cadigan called "the ingredients of high performance." Hence, it has resorted to Power Wall, Solar Roof and PowerPack and moved his vision into renewability for homeowners and business. Disinterested in others assumptions, he asks questions until the root of the problem reveals itself. He believes theres a better way to do everything, and he sets his sights on constant improvement. Career tests dont work to determine job fitthis does. Inaction leads to doubt. But conscious leaders take the opposite route. Many former and current employees admit that working for Musk is rigorous and demanding, yet many point to it as a formative experience in their careers. Elon Musk follows transformational leadership, the style in which a vision is created, and work is done on the field where a change needs to be done along with his team members in his business life. Big picture thinking is key in communication, leadership, decision making and situations where you need to get the gist of things quickly. In a discussion with Glassdoor on hiring employees, Elon Musk was quoted to have said, "Hire great people. It includes four tactics: Vision: he showed this strategy by replacing fossil fuels by green energy and discovering space on Mars. Musk, who rarely sticks to a leadership script, doesn't seem intent on winning employees' trust or providing clarity about the company's future. The setting of objectives makes the goals easy to follow as a benchmark that can be measured against Stretch goals is essential for accomplishing them. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.". The Influence of Transactional Leadership Style and Work Culture on Work Performance Mediated by Work Motivation. Words, tone, and cues all affect relationships. Employees spend an average of two and a half hours each day communicating, according to research. Today, insights show that there are 70.4 million freelancersabout 36% of the total Do you know someone who will go to any lengths necessary to get what they want, often scheming and manipulating Taxes for sole proprietorships include federal and state income taxes and self-employment taxes. Even though the self-dubbed chief twit's path isn't clear to observers, Cadigan said Musk typically knows what he's doing. With Musk, he seeks to add quality to society while at the same time presenting a superior tomorrow to humanity. A good leader will align them to fit the employee and provide the necessary resources to fulfil those objectives. Leading by example is another great option. Among his many ventures, Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, founder of the Boring Company, and co-chairman of OpenAI. Is what youve written an assumption or a universal truth? Nevertheless, Musk isnt a ruthless, task-oriented dictatorhes obsessed with delivering excellent results. VIDEO 01:02. There is technological excellence, and this gives Tesla a competitive edge. [This] improves the odds of success. Write out what you think you know about the challenge in front of you. Only focus on work that progresses the organization closer to achieving its mission. In the process, hes gained an almost cult-like following with almost seven times the entire population of New York City following his every word on Twitter. Mc Gregor's Theory Y is similar to this type of leadership because it supports the idea that "managers work to encourage their workers." Although he does not entirely give in to the total authoritarian control over the organization, he takes little input when coming up with a decision. They are then held accountable for their actions. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Stay curious and ask questions to gain more insight. Elon Musk's leadership style is very unique. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Yet he is getting massive profits from his projects. I always see whatswrong. On Sunday, Musk polled his followers on whether he should step down as CEO of Twitter and said he would "abide by the results." So, how can business owners and executives implement the positive aspects of Elon Musk as a leader at Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and Neuralink? Elon Musk, one of the most creative leaders of our time, is widely seen as a visionary. Find out more about becoming an expert at problem solving. (2020), conducted a study to investigate how four leadership styles (unstable/autocratic, stable/autocratic, unstable/democratic, stable/democratic) is related to immediate trust in a leader through displaying, to participants, a . They both inspire and grab attention. From handling customer service to marketing, entrepreneurs and leaders wear many hats. Back in the 1980s, after Harley-Davidson had staved off a total collapse, the company discovered it wasnt out of the 4 Ways to Apply Elon Musks LeadershipStyle, Autocratic and Transactional Leadership Traits, How to Implement Elon Musks Leadership Style, Avoid the Pitfalls of Elon Musks Leadership Style, How to Practice Effective InterpersonalCommunication, How to Build a Multi-Million Dollar Go-to-MarketStrategy, 10 Steps for Becoming a SuccessfulFreelancer, Machiavellianism Explained: Personality Traits + Dark TriadSigns, How to Pay Sole Proprietorship Taxes and Avoid IRSPenalties, Heres a Step by Step Guide on How to Start aPodcast, How to Grow Your Business: 12 Tips to Use When ScalingUp, 7 Organizational Management Styles to Practice atWork, Adults Are Distracted Every 47 Seconds: How to Increase AttentionSpan, The Destructive Nature of Toxic Productivity and How to OvercomeIt, We will not stop until every car on the road is electric., If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day. Quickly assess and identify the ideal candidates for your team based on job-fit and team culture when hiring talent. Failure is an option here, hes quoted as saying. The success of an organisation is dependent on the leader. So, from the discussion above, it is clearly stated that how Elon Musk is so passionate for his work. 2). Become a better leader by embracing the experience and genius within others. (Ibrahim and Daniel, 2019). The notion of everybody being equally responsible for the spectacular success of an idea made manifest is absurd. Autocratic leaders want sole authority in their companies and rule with an iron fist, while transactional leaders can be cold and daunting because they view work as a business transaction. Elon Musk has always been remembered as a transformational autocratic leader. This leadership style's strengths are innovative thinking, analysis, problem-solving, planning, and strategy execution. Hes been said to sleep on a couch in the Tesla factory and work 80 to 90 hours each week (sometimes even more). Leadership directly affects the organisation's culture and directly affects efficiency and productivity in the workplace. He builds rockets, disrupts the automotive industry, and has his sights set on colonizing Mars. He demands excellence because it is what drives transformation. Elon Musk doesnt hire just to fill in the positions in his company rather he hires the right person in the first time. He has also suggested that "they feel a part of a larger team and by reducing the noise and blockers in their work." Communicating gratitude is a leadership practice that makes employees feel appreciated and seen by their leaders. So, like any leadership style, the Elon Musk leadership styleapproach comes with some distinct benefits and drawbacks. Increase team harmony, happiness, speed and cohesion so everyone can get into flow state and do their best work. To follow this strategy, ask why and keep questioning the conclusions you reach until youve found the root cause of the issue. Elon Musk is known for his aggressive attitude towards successful innovation, which can be seen through his innovative products that he and his respective team have launched. He has the skill when doing the right thing for the sake of achieving success. Companies are required to do so ahead of broad layoffs. Their mindset is fixed on their own goals for the company. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. He also has the emotional intelligence to bring the best out of his team, and we can attribute all this to his vast success. Even during these dark times, he still demonstrated impeccable leadership skills that motivated his team to keep pushing forward. He always strives for excellence and does not set on mediocrity. CNBC, 2017. Learn why the modern-day attention span is shrinking and what to do about it. Use world-first predictive analytics to get a deep understanding of team dynamics, potential talent and blind spots to address. The transactional leadership style is used several times by Elon Musk due to the aggressive approach he follows to imbibe innovation within the company's operations (Chaudhry and Javed, 2012). Elon Musk does not have a democratic or aristocratic way of leadership. Even though he had complete control of his company, he gave his employees the motivation to accomplish their targets and tasks through his characteristics. Delegative Leadership 6. An autocratic leadership has one person in charge, the authoritarian, who collects little to no input from team members. Its something Musk himself alluded to in an interview with The Wallstreet Journal stating: I have OCD on product-related issues. Elon Musk is a South African born Canadian-American business magnate who was born June 28, 1971. Many leaders of this world do not get obsessed with their work. He really gives his all hundred percent to what he does. "He's highly intelligent. In certain situation, autocratic style could be the best approach but Leadership Styles (2015) asserted that autocratic leadership style should not be used when staff becomes tense, fearful, or resentful; expect to have their opinions heard; there is low staff morale, high turnover and absenteeism and work stoppage. . . Thanks so much Marlee, I miss you already", I found the importance of setting goals. Here are the ingredients top leaders say are needed to remedy the havoc in a post-pandemic workplace: Still, many ill-informed leaders will identify with Musks reckless tactics and follow in his footsteps. Elon Musk's leadership style is a mix of challenges, growth, vision innovation, and more. Twit 's path is n't clear to observers, Cadigan said Musk typically knows what 's. Has his sights on constant improvement and this gives Tesla a competitive edge strategy by replacing fossil by... 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