Carrot and stick
Leaked emails to Tesla workforce give an impression of Elon Musk’s leadership style
Elon Musk in August in Brandenburg: Mails from the Tesla boss give a little insight into his management style
© Patrick Pleul / DPA
Elon Musk likes to communicate a lot on Twitter. Even at Tesla, the boss likes to write emails to everyone. The news gives an idea of what the eccentric is like as a boss.
Elon Musk likes to knock you out. This is nothing new and new examples are updated almost daily on Twitter. The eccentric billionaire does not hold back with his opinion and his views. Sometimes the posts are about requirements that are pointless from his point of view (keyword Giga Factory in Grünheide), sometimes about crypto currencies and sometimes Musk just needs to cover people who piss him off with ridicule and insults.
He can do it differently: he gave a young drone pilot an overflight permit for the Tesla construction site near Berlin via Twitter. At least 50 percent of his tweets, he announced earlier this week, he wrote “from a porcelain throne”.
But what is Elon Musk like as a boss? Two emails from the US broadcaster CNBC give an impression. The first message was sent on October 3rd, the second a day later. The Tesla CEO sent both e-mails to the entire workforce of the company, “To: Everybody”, it says in the address field.
Elon Musk wants his people to feel comfortable …
The first email is about music at work. Musk is more friendly and understandable, writes right at the beginning that he supports it very much if people listen to music at work – as well as all the other little things that make work more pleasant. An employee asked whether it was okay to wear headphones in one ear so that the other – for example, to perceive security-relevant information – remains free. “That sounds acceptable to me,” writes the Tesla CEO. Background music from loudspeakers is also okay, as long as all colleagues agree with the selection.
“If there is anything else that you think would make your day better, please let me know,” Musk said at the end. And concludes with the words: “It is very important to me that you look forward to coming to work every day”.
… but if you don’t sprint, you have to resign
In the second email of October 4th, Elon Musk takes a different tone. The message is addressed to everyone, too, but seems to be aimed primarily at the company’s executives. The tone is sober, the sentences are briefly formulated: “If an email is sent by me with specific instructions, managers are only allowed three different courses of action,” the Tesla boss introduces the message. And delivers the three options immediately afterwards: “1. An e-mail back to me with an explanation of why what I said is incorrect. Sometimes I’m just wrong. 2. A request for further explanation, if so What I said was ambiguous. 3. The instructions will be carried out. ” The boss also cites the clear consequence of non-compliance: “If nothing of the above is done, the manager concerned will be asked to resign immediately”.
Two messages, two days, two messages: Elon Musk communicates to his employees that it means a lot to him that they feel comfortable at work for him. Despite all his benevolence, he leaves no doubt about one thing: He’s the boss.
Source:CNBC