In The Name of Elon

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and if so, may I suggest staying there) you’ve likely been witnessing the horror story that is Elon Musk and Twitter. What has transpired over the last few weeks has not only been the firing of “~90% of Twitter’s engineering staff” but a pinnacle moment in our culture. 

It’s no secret that with new leadership comes new vision. This isn’t a new concept or unique to Elon. Plenty of leaders have come into an organization and taken it in a completely new direction. As uncomfortable as we may be with change, a new vision requires it. 

But I am too familiar with business culture to be fooled. This isn’t about Twitter’s bloated overhead, employees abusing remote work culture, or hating on Elon. This is a brazen battle for how leadership looks in a post-pandemic world. Lucky us, we have front-row seats to this war of ideas. Whether you care or not, it’s bound to impact the way we work. 

Those who support Elon make claims like,

We’re watching the greatest turnaround in business history by a brilliant leader of the likes we’ve never seen before. 

And,

“All the CEOs are seriously thanking Elon.” Because “No one has been doing any work since 2020.” 

(insert eye-rolling emoji here) 

After all,

for any one person who leaves Twitter, there are a hundred people right behind them just itching for the chance to work with one of the greatest minds of our generation. 

(insert bigger eye-rolling emoji) 

Elon’s leadership isn’t revolutionary. It’s one our culture has been swimming in for ages. Using “power over” rather than “power with.” Valuing profit over people. It’s the same old uncreative story of power and money. And quite frankly, I'm bored with it. The only new thing here is that Elon is unashamed of doing it publicly. 

So, what's the line that divides those who support Elon’s leadership and those who detest it? I believe it comes down to one thing: how much do you care about people? 

It’s fine to change a culture. I even understand having to do layoffs in this climate. It’s not okay, however, to drag people through the mud in the process. The lengths to which Elon’s supporters are excusing this behavior and the willingness to “do the hard thing” is concerning. 

But here’s the kicker… 

What Elon is doing isn’t hard. It’s a tantrum-like rebellion against an emerging era of leadership. Firing people en masse over email, mocking people in memes. That’s easy. 

Hard looks like enacting a new vision while acknowledging the consequences of your actions. Hard is looking people in the eye when firing them. Getting close enough to have personal conversations, taking an ounce of responsibility for the impact on their livelihoods and families. That’s hard. 

Let’s be clear, Elon has all the upside. The equity. The power. The wealth. 

You can’t expect an employee to act like an owner, working 24/7, when you’re not treating them like one. No stock options, just more hours. Yep, that tracks. 

My point is, if Twitter is successful, it will embolden future leaders to act childish and treat people as consumables. But the research shows that’s not a good business practice. Elon’s not dumb. He knows that retaining an employee is more cost-effective than training and hiring. He just seemingly doesn't care.

What happens at Twitter will shape our leadership culture as we know it and redefine our standards of work. Worst of all, Elon’s extremist tactics will give permission to corporate America to snap right back to that sixty-hour, in-office, always on-call work week. Because at least, they’re not Twitter. It’s like negotiating with an extremist and calling middle ground generosity. Noted, it’s not generous at all. 

I’m not saying remote work is for all companies or all people. But when the cornerstone of Elon’s agenda becomes a rebuttal to the flexibility that a majority of people want, I wonder if this is more about Elon’s ego than what’s best for Twitter. 

If Twitter is deemed more successful in the future, it could unravel any cultural gains made during the pandemic. That when adults are treated like adults, they can, in fact, work away from their boss. That balance does foster productivity.

Despite the war of opinions in America, there is still a moral line our culture tends to agree on: harming another human being is wrong. 

But, in the name of Elon, harm is subjective. 

For some, the harm Elon is causing is clear, blatant, public, and toxic. 

For others, actions like… 

• Not communicating with employees

• Changing working conditions without notice

• Firing those who criticize you or say “failure”

• Giving people ultimatums

• Mocking employees with memes

• And much, much, more…

…are a display of strong leadership. 

I’m not writing this hoping Twitter fails. I’m writing this because I cannot stay silent while watching a billionaire man in power redefine leadership in our culture. I must say my piece. 

Soon, we will move on to the next #trending topic. We’ll forget the Twitter threads of employees documenting how they were fired and the Tik Tok videos on Elon’s takeover. It'll get wrapped up in a neatly formed headline blurring many of the important details.

“A brilliant leader, strong enough to do the hard thing, makes the best turnaround in modern business history.” 

(vomit noises)

Elon is no stranger to science and the social science is very clear. Progress is diminished in unsafe environments. When people feel safe and heard they give their best work.

There’s an irony in Elon creating a system that shames people into deferential silence while simultaneously promoting a platform for free speech. Right now at Twitter, there’s no safety in speaking up. Employees' work will be, at best, performative. At worst, some sort of bowing down to a business dictator. 

We are entering a new age of leadership. And for those quietly backing Elon, remember that values aren’t of any use unless put into action. If there are no values, there is no stable place to operate from. Good as the wind. Blowing in whatever direction Elon says is cool.  Watching this cluster play out over the internet, it’s disheartening to know we’ve been sold a lie. That this style of leadership is just how business is done.

While much can be said about creating boundaries, sometimes, when the boundaries are crossed, we must walk away. Waiting for an Elon or any other “power over” leader to see the light is resisting reality. Hence all the people leaving.

14-hour days, 84-hour weeks. Burnt out and anxiety-ridden all to prove your worth to a so-called leader that couldn’t care less about you. For what?! The truth is there are so many other ways.  So many other examples of people upholding their values while maintaining wildly profitable, and highly successful companies that care for both people and profit. 

I can’t predict who will win the war. But I’m rooting for the truth. Leaders crazy enough to change the world and care about people while doing it.

“I worry that business leaders are more interested in material gain than they are in having the patience to build up a strong organization, and a strong organization starts with caring for their people.”

 - John Wooden