BOOK SUMMARY 303 Elon Musk
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Summary written by: Justin Gasbarre
“Do you think I’m insane?”
- Elon Musk, page 1
Prominent technology writer, Ashlee Vance, was granted
unique access and had the amazing opportunity to be around, interview and
ultimately write a book about Elon Musk. ELON MUSK – Telsa, SpaceX, and the
Quest for a Fantastic Future is a biography about the wildly
successful business leader, entrepreneur, and investor. Musk is the founder,
CEO, and CTO of SpaceX; co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors; co-founder and
chairman of Solar City; co-chairman of OpenAI; co-founder of Zip2; and founder
of X.com which merged with PayPal.
Author Ashlee Vance takes us on an incredible journey
through the life of one of the world’s most innovating and captivating business
leaders. Beginning with Musk’s youth, his move to America, his early start up
endeavors, the ups and downs of his business and personal life—the lessons to
be learned from Musk are wide ranging. Enjoy this exciting look into, not just
the mind of one of the world’s most fascinating business, but the future of the
human race.
The Golden Egg
Vision and Conviction
"His vision is so clear. He almost hypnotizes
you."- Elon Musk, page 223
Vision Statements and Mission Statements…every business
has them. What separates Musk’s companies from the rest is that his vision and
his conviction is so intense and laser focused that he almost wills himself and
his organizations to accomplish the incredible feats that they set out to
achieve.
This conviction and drive hasn’t come without some
difficulties. “People who know Musk well tend to describe him more as a general
than a CEO” (220). Despite this fact, people who work with him and for him
happily work the long hours, under extremely high expectations. And while he
expects a lot, Musk is a leader that deeply cares about his people and the
human race.
Vance writes, “I would argue, however, that his brand of
empathy is unique. He seems to feel for the human species as a whole without
always wanting to consider the wants and needs of individuals” (363). Musk’s
vision is literally about impacting the human species as a whole. As we better
understand the enormity of that, the better we’ll understand Elon Musk and
truly appreciate what he has been able to do.
Gem #1
Expectations
"What Musk would not tolerate were excuses or the
lack of a clear plan."- Elon Musk, page 126
In learning about Musk’s ventures, beginning in his early
years founding Zip2 and X.com, through SpaceX and Telsa, is that his
expectation for results are sky high. He puts a tremendous amount of pressure
on his people to get things done in a timeframe that seems completely insane to
any “normal” person. But that seems to be how Elon operates and time and again,
he gets the most out of his people. While he expects a lot, he easily puts in
just as much, if not more, work as he asks of his employees. One of his team
members remembers a time when they worked through the night saying, “He’s not
afraid to get his hands dirty. He’s out there with his nice Italian shoes and
clothes and has epoxy all over him” (127). There is nothing more engaging than
seeing your leader in the trenches working and fighting alongside you.
The lesson here for me was that as a leader you can
expect high standards and excellence out of your people, even at extreme
levels, if you back it up by walking that same walk. Throughout the book, a lot
is said about how hard he pushes his people, but time and again, they also
mention that he sets the bar for that effort and those expectations.
Gem #2
Willpower
"For Elon, the word no does not exist, and he
expects that attitude from everyone around him."- Elon Musk, page 67
The quote above is a constant theme throughout all of
Musk’s business ventures and seemingly, in all situations that quote rings
true. Whether he is recruiting a top engineer, pushing through a tight product
deadline, or pitching investors, Elon does not take no for an answer. While
this can be a tough pill to swallow for some of his employees, his vision,
conviction, and work-ethic allow him to operate is such a manner. One of his
employees said, “You don’t get to where Elon is now by always being a nice guy,
and he was just so driven and sure of himself” (68).
A big take away from this section for me was that if you
believe it can be done, don’t settle for anything less. He is so sure of the
direction of his companies, his people’s abilities and what they are doing that
he is simply pushing his people to be the absolute best they can be. That
mindset from a leader is inspiring!
It is incredible to learn about successful business
people like Elon Musk. They not only advance industry, they help others realize
what is possible in this life. They are human just like you and me. They have
to learn and fail multiple times before they find success. They simply push and
persevere until it happens. Elon Musk has certainly done so, and Ashlee Vance
did a great job capturing his story. Elon Musk continues to advance the world
in massive groundbreaking ways. While, most of us are not Musk, it does make me
think, wow we can we advance the world through our own small circles of
influence?
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