THE ONE THING

1. How Elon Musk Fires People

“If you don’t step on toes, I will fire you. Is that clear?”

I'm currently re-reading Walter Isaacson's book about Elon Musk and the sections below really stood out.

The following story reveals a lot about Musk's unique (and intense) leadership style — especially what happened after an intense meeting, when Isaacson asked if he was too harsh.

(Skim through the highlighted parts if you don’t have a lot of time to read)

The takeaway

Was this brutal? Maybe.

Was it effective? Depends on who you ask.

I’m not passing judgment here or making references about politics.

I’m just reflecting on how wildly different leadership styles can be and how they shape teams, companies, and outcomes.

For me, the takeaway is simple: Elon Musk is very direct and non-emotional with his communication style.

He is crystal-clear about expectations and just as clear about the repercussions if you don’t meet his expectations.

And whether you agree with it or not, that level of clarity is something every leader can learn from.

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

2. Leadership Problems Fall Into Two Buckets: Here’s What Matters Most

The words “weather” and “climate” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re different terms.

Weather refers to short-term conditions of the atmosphere: “It’s raining in Boston today, and the temperature is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Climate refers to long-term conditions of the atmosphere: “Summers in Boston are usually warm and humid, and the temperature ranges between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Climate is the average weather over time during a specific period. It’s what you’d expect to get on a given day during a season. Weather is what you actually get.

The difference between those two terms is an excellent analogy for general leadership problems.

Weather problems are “one-off” challenges. Climate problems are “chronic” ones.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Team Member Performance: When someone on the team is not performing up to standards, is that because of a weather problem (a bad day due to extra pressure) or a climate problem (continuously missing deadlines)?

• Sales Strategy: When sales dipped last quarter, was that because of a weather problem (half the sales team was out of the office) or a climate problem (customers are shifting from product-based to service-based purchases)?

It’s not always easy to distinguish between the two because weather problems become climate problems when repeated a few times (and defining “a few” is subjective).

The takeaway

As a leader, focus on solving climate problems vs. weather problems because the former matters more in the long run.

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THE 80/20

4. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: Take the time to explain tasks clearly and directly to your team (see the Musk example above)

• Why: Assuming your team members will know what you want usually leads to disappointment. Being direct and specific in communication helps avoid misunderstandings and increases efficiency.

• Example: Instead of saying, “Please write a brief summary report about the status of our project,” say, “Please send me a one-slide PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the status of our project in a few bullet points.”