People who stand out in our world and are making a difference tend to have an eccentric personality. This means they are at times tagged with labels such as strange, weird, bizarre, and more.
Do you know anyone like this? Have you ever tagged anyone with one or more of these labels?
The late Steve Jobs was given the label of eccentric. Imagine. But look at the results he was able to produce.
This is also true of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and of other businesses he started. He has been labeled as eccentric. But again, look at the results.
So was Einstein. Richard Branson. Benjamin Franklin. And more. But again, look at the results.
We are in a results-based world.
When I look at these people through the results lens, it’s a no-brainer not to listen to what they have to say, like in this case with Elon Musk. I may not agree with everything but I want to hear.
Elon Musk wrote an email to his leaders, outlining how he wants to see them lead their people.
This email came at a time when Tesla was going through a very rough patch in meeting quota as well as dealing with the various mechanical issues the cars were having.
Here’s a synopsis of sections of the email as reported by electrek.
“It is my firm belief that the separation of the workplace into “executives” and “employees” does not create a good working environment. We want to create a system of equality without artificial barriers so that someone can start as a trainee and one day lead the entire company.
This is why we eliminate all the special privileges of the executives. For example, everyone will have equal access to parking, eating the same tables, and there will be no management offices.
I am convinced that managers should work at the forefront, in the same work environment as the entire team.
Even though I run the company myself, I still do not have my own office and often moved my workplace to the most challenging area in the factory and slept on the factory floor when there was a real crisis.
Managers should always take care of their team before they take care of themselves – the supervisor is there to serve his team – not the other way round.
It is clear that Elon Musk wants to change the meaning and look of leadership. This is not a right or wrong approach. It is different and one that is worth considering as you lead your company.
What if you at least took parts of this snippet from his overall email and decide that you want to see your leaders or your team, experience the workplace in a non-traditional way?
Because, in essence, this is what is being purported by Elon Musk.
It is indeed a shift in thinking but one that is worth considering.
In this episode of The Kingsley Grant Show, you’ll hear some of my thoughts on this approach. I did disagree in principle to a certain aspect of this email. You can hear what it is upon listening.
To access your FREE COPY of the book mentioned, click on this link: https://www.kingsleygrant.com/freeleadershipbook.
If you would like to connect with me to see how I could serve you through coaching and/or training, please do so HERE.
(Published first on LinkedIn)