Who is the leader/organization? What is the background? Historically, what influences could have shaped this person/organization’s culture?
Elon Reeves Musk, the South African-born American entrepreneur attained global recognition when he founded X.Com which was later renamed PayPal. He has become one of the most exciting innovators and prominent people in Silicon Valley over the past decade. He has also played a significant role in changing financial systems and life as we know it. Elon Musk is still investing in projects that can potentially transform our lives even more; SpaceX is focused on transforming space-travel while Tesla Motors is a manufacturer of electric cars.2
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As a co-founder of PayPal, chairman of Solar City and designer of Hyperloop, a high-speed transportation system, he has already demonstrated his incredible acumen and attention to detail in new ventures. Solar City is one of his newest companies aiming at powering homes and businesses with solar power. His innovative approach to organizational culture can be traced back to early years when he designed a game which he sold at $ 500 as a pre-teen. It is no surprise that he became the second entrepreneur in Silicon Valley to create 3 companies whose market value is above $1 billion.1
What style/approach of leadership is used? Why do you think this style has been successful for this person/organization?
While Elon Musk has changed his leadership strategies over time, his clear and direct vision may lead to some degree of authoritarian leadership. To get a proper understanding of Elon Musk’s success, it’s important to understand his upbringing and history. When he was young, Musk was severally bullied by older boys in school. In one instance he was even thrown off of a staircase and forced to spend several days in the hospital. Despite these adversities, Elon Musk attended universities in both the US and Canada later in his academic career. Musk’s greatest leadership attributes started to take shape as he had a clear vision and drive despite having been bullied.
Elon Musk has always had a vision of where he wanted to go and the future of the world. This has contributed to his transformational approach to new ventures. His altruism is characteristic of servant leadership as well. A commitment to collaboration and solving universal challenges such as global warming are some of the ways he demonstrates situational leadership.
Elon Musk has a profound vision for each of his ventures and is able to communicate it effectively with his employees. This is perhaps the trademark of his leadership style. He founded SolarCity to help fight climate change, and it has now become the second largest solar power provider in the US. Elon Musk is a transformational leader who creates dynamic technology based on a clear vision of the future. His leadership style is direct and to the point as he works to create products that are for the good of mankind.3
How has the leader/organization motivated others? Describe in detail or give a specific example of the leadership or culture in action.
Like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk’s most exceptional qualities are his abilities to inspire others and create realistic models based on his visions of the future. He cares about the greater good of humanity at a fundamental level. That is why he has allowed other companies to use his innovative battery technology in order to increase its propagation throughout the industry.1 It is hard not to be inspired by leaders who are interested in the industry at large rather than individual corporate profit alone. He has provided significant opportunities for growth in the industry.
Where has this leader/organization been successful? How might the larger regional or national culture contribute to the success of the leader/organization? If this leader/organization would operate in a different location, how might the leader/organization need to adapt to be successful?
Elon Musk is leading tech entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, USA. Without a doubt, his university educations from Canada and the USA have helped Musk to become the innovator that he is today. Nevertheless, the hardship he endured growing up as a child in South Africa has made him a tough and resilient person, able to survive multiple economic climates and market trends.3 He has adapted to the global needs of humanity and addressed incumbent challenges in the US and Western Europe throughout his work. He needed to adapt the style of his leadership in order to accommodate an international labor force.2
Self-reflection: Why did you choose to study this person/organization? What do you admire about this person/organization? Why do you admire this?
There are the many reasons why I chose to write about Elon Musk. Elon Musk is a visionary who was self-made. He lived on a dollar a day when he moved from South Africa to Canada. He almost went broke several times because his investments did not pick up immediately.1 Nevertheless, he believed and continued to work on his innovations which ultimately yielded remarkable results. The fact that he has tried his hand at many things and persevered to see them succeed makes him a figure worth studying.2
