“Sometimes I’m simply wrong!”
A recent leaked email from Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again highlighted the CEO’s unique management style. While Musk is known as a boss who demands a lot from his employees, the leaked email revealed that the CEO is more than willing to be corrected – if the situation demands it.
Emails were recently retrieved and shared by CNBC, who noted that the messages were sent to Tesla employees in the first week of October. Tesla had just completed its most historic third quarter to date, delivering a total of 241,300 vehicles from July to September. With this in mind, Musk made it a point to highlight what he wants to happen when sending explicit instructions.
Musk’s email may sound harsh, and the CEO notes that Tesla executives are just that. allowed to perform three actions when they receive instructions. The CEO noted that if his instructions are vague, managers should ask for clarification. And if leaders think the instructions are wrong, Musk noted that leaders should send him a message telling him why his instructions are wrong. “Sometimes I’m simply wrong,” Musk wrote.
The following is Musk’s email to Tesla employees:
For all
From: Elon Musk
Date: Monday, October 4th [time redacted]
Subj. please note
If an email is sent from me with explicit instructions, only three actions are allowed by managers.
Send me an email to explain why what I said was wrong. Sometimes I simply make mistakes!
2. Ask for further clarification if what I said was ambiguous.
Follow the instructions.
If none of the above is done, this leader will be asked to resign immediately.
Thank you,
Elon
The content of the leaked email paints a somewhat different picture of the CEO, who has been characterized as a brash leader who tends to just push for what he wants. As the message reveals, Musk may be a strict leader, but he openly admits to having made mistakes. The CEO may be confident, but he seems to be fully aware that he is not infallible.
Another leaked email showed a lighter side of the CEO leadership style. In the message, Musk noted that a Tesla employee had contacted him and asked if they could use one earphone to listen to music while working. Musk responded positively to this suggestion, even noting that ambient music from speaker systems is perfectly fine, provided the workers agree on the type of music to be played.
The following is the leaked email:
For all
From: Elon Musk
Date: Sunday, October 3rd [time redacted]
Subj. Music in the factory
Just wanted to say that I greatly support the music at the factory, as well as small details that make the work more enjoyable.
A colleague just sent me a note asking if we could have one earphone for music so the other ear could listen for safety-related issues. That sounds nice to me.
In addition, ambient music from speakers is also absolutely cool, as long as there is reasonable agreement among your colleagues about the music choices.
If there are other things that you think would improve your day, let me know. I really care that you look forward to getting to work every day!
Like the other leaked email, this message also breaks a stereotype that has been painted by Tesla and its workers. Tesla critics and even some mainstream reports have claimed that the company’s employees have worked to the bone with very few conveniences, but as Musk noted in his message, he wants to make the work as comfortable as possible.
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