Every hand on Elon Musk’s night at Tesla reminds him that he can get away more than other CEOs. There is also the risk of keeping a last-minute meeting looking confusing, leadership experts said.
Along with the other CEOs, it would have been a five-alarm emergency.
But all the hands with Tesla workers lately and last-minute business hours reminded me that a lot of company frontmen (presumably just free from the norms that other chiefs adhere to) can escape.
How much is the big question?
He is sure that for many years he will work in tents and sleep in the office, but his allowance with workers, investors and customers is not endless, Musk observers told Business Insider.
“There’s no version where he’s doing so many things at once. It works,” Wil Schroter, founder and CEO of Tech Accelerator’s Startups.com, told BI.
He pointed out the vast number of items on Mask’s to-do list, from managing half a dozen businesses, including Tesla, X and SpaceX, to attempting a federal remake.
Big questions from workers
Melissa Schilling, professor of management and organization at New York University’s Stern School of Business, makes the decision to barely notify Musk’s decision to barely notify him that he was kicked off at 9pm in Austin after Tech Glitches delayed his start.
Schilling, who learned about Musk’s career and business, told BI that there is a sense of uncertainty in it.
“That’s a really dangerous position for the brand’s core,” Schilling said.
Starting meetings where bedtime routines may be ongoing can also reduce morale for workers.
If you signal your employees that your time isn’t valuable, “You really do damage to that relationship,” she said.
According to Schilling, Musk is to downplay some corporate norms at the early stages of the company, but Musk goes far beyond its honeymoon.
“His actions affect too many people now to escape from the actions of the boys who become boys,” she said.
Musk did not respond to requests for comment from BI.
Schlotter says that while Musk often benefits from doubt, Tesla’s stocks have fallen 80% (down about 50%) from its December high, and Muskstans is not tolerant.
In such cases, “You can’t mess up with the government and cut back,” Schloter said he mentioned Mask’s other role on Donald Trump’s Office of Government Efficiency advisory group.
I’m crashing on the sofa
It’s not the first time that Mask’s attitude towards work has attracted attention.
The world’s wealthiest man is famous for saying that he slept on the floor of a Tesla factory when the company was buried in Production Hell for the Model 3.
While some founder mode’s prosperity is part of Musk’s sales model, Shilling suggests that the evening Tesla meeting is not ready, and he said that sooner or later he only realized that something important was happening at the company.
Tesla has suffered from recent cases of vandalism in vehicles and showrooms, which is attributed to political left-wing people and slides of stock.
The automaker’s stock regained the ground on Friday as Musk’s message appears to have taken investors to heart during Thursday’s meeting. In it, he begged workers to stick to stocks and spoke about the company’s cybercab.
“As a little confusing”
Musk frowns and worries in virtually other companies because most people expect him to be “a bit confusing” and something other than tradition.
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“This is the guy who smoked drugs on Joe Rogan’s show,” she told BI.
Clark said Musk’s long-standing reputation as an improvised and emotional CEO might blunt concerns that he is unstable.
She said the meeting may have sent an alternative message to employees that Musk was still paying attention and caring for his company.
However, Clark said alone will not be enough to support workers and investors’ sentiment without taking further action to show he is tackling his challenges at Tesla.
Steve Jobs Effect
Schroter, who runs Tech Accelerator, said Musk’s decision to speak directly to workers is more effective than sending emails or relying on a corporate communications team.
“When you stand in front of people, it’s on Zoom watching you talk, and they see you put your emotions in there, there’s something different about it,” Schroter said.
It’s a way to show you sharing their concerns, he said. But Schloter said how many leaders can ask workers is often bound by “how willing they pursue you through the fire.”
He said, like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, workers’ loyalty is often high enough for Musk, and employees strive to meet tall expectations, including long hours.
“There’s only one Elon Musk,” he said. “This isn’t making him a fanboy at all. I’m just saying what it is.”
Schroter said Musk’s track record shows that he’s usually coming out first, but “99.9% of CEOs” shows that he doesn’t have as much luxury as he does.
“The people who follow him — those who work for him — believe in Elon’s cult,” Schlotter said. “Most founders and CEOs aren’t near such pull.”
