Elon Musk’s Leadership and Action Logics

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Leadership Action Logics
Elon Musk: A Global Business Leader
Conclusion

Introduction

The concept of action logic has increasingly become the subject of study by developmental psychologists. David Rooke and William Torbert defined action logic as the way human beings perceive their surroundings, including the way they respond when their supremacy or safety is threatened. In their opinion, leaders should strive to be aware of their action logics as a part of the journey to self-improvement. The article by Rooke and Torbert presents this concept as a mechanism that is used to distinguish one leader from another. This paper analyzes seven leadership action logics that include opportunists, diplomats, experts, achievers, individualists, strategists, and, alchemists. In addition, Elon Musk, Tesla Motors’ CEO, is selected as a global business leader whose manner of operation depicts him as an achiever, a strategist, an alchemist, and a diplomat.

Leadership Action Logics

The Opportunist

Rooke and Torbert’s study discusses seven types of leadership action logics. Opportunists are comprised of leaders who focus on their personal gains while taking advantage of other people by exploiting them. They prefer dictating their followers and treating them as weak objects that can only operate effectively when controlled. Opportunists believe that everyone is out to benefit themselves. As a result, they do not see anything wrong with being scheming. Instead, they defend their behavior by arguing that it is in accordance with the acceptable standards. People in this leadership action logic type do not accept being held liable for their mistakes. In addition to refusing to be corrected, they respond ruthlessly to those who try to point out their faults or rectify them. Only a few opportunists maintain the position of being managers for a long time unless they change their leadership action logics to effective ones. People dislike the idea of working with opportunists on a long-term basis because of their inappropriate behavior of frequently flouting company rules. Working with an opportunist is seen as one of the most difficult times because such leaders are difficult to work with. However, one advantage of this type of leadership action logic is the ability to perform excellently when faced with an emergency.

The Diplomat

The diplomat is more preferred to the opportunist. However, this action logic can bring about some negative consequences if the leader happens to hold a higher-ranking managerial position. Diplomats strive to please their seniors. They also avoid scenarios that may lead to the occurrence of conflicts. Instead of controlling others, leaders in this action logic focus on keeping their behaviors in check. They conform to the set rules rather than challenging them. In addition, these leaders see cooperation and being excellent in their roles as vital elements that influence their success. Diplomats offer a social working environment, which ensures that workers’ needs are well catered for within their organizations. As a result, most diplomats perform some junior duties such as offering customer care services and being frontline supervisors or nurse practitioners in a company. Diplomats are problematic when positioned in top leadership ranks because they disregard conflicts. They are usually polite and very friendly, thus making it impossible for them to give an appalling response to other people. Diplomats avoid the introduction of change in their organizations because they are aware conflicts that come along with any transformations.

The Expert

Experts’ approach to leadership is the most common leadership style, accounting for 38% of all leaders sampled in the study by Rooke and Torbert. Individuals in this leadership action logic focus on exercising control through improving knowledge in their private and occupational lives. Watertight thinking is very crucial to experts. Many business forecasters, specialists, software engineers, marketing researchers, and bookkeepers belong to this leadership action logic. They rely on data and facts to win support for their proposals. Experts are prolific contributors due to their ability to demonstrate efficiency, improvement, and perfection. However, individuals in this action logic are often poor managers because they tend to think they are always right. Lower-ranking people often despise expert managers because of their insistence to have things done the way they suggest. Additionally, these people see collaboration as time wasting to the extent that they treat other people’s opinions as worthless compared to theirs. An example of the impact of this type of leadership is seen in the case of Sun Microsystems. In 2002, about twelve senior managers left the company in protest to the CEO’s domineering stance.

The Achiever

In this type of leadership, achievers support and equally challenge their colleagues. Achievers’ outlook of the world is usually more complex compared to that of managers previously discussed. They respond optimistically to feedback. They understand that many conflicts that occur in people’s daily lives result from differences in the way they interpret issues or relate with one another. They understand the role of establishing constructive relationships in the workplace because they help to creatively transform or resolve an argument. Such close links influence positively the desired outcome. In addition, achievers’ leadership style enhances the retention of employees in an organization because they ensure the existence of a positive working environment. Nonetheless, people in this action logic often fall into conflicts with experts. In particular, the former leader finds it hard to bear with an achiever’s success. Fortunately, Rooke and Torbert believe that this kind of rivalry is not always detrimental to an organization. In fact, it often fuels business competitiveness that is necessary for driving corporate success. Unfortunately, achievers’ leadership style can inhibit creative thinking within a company.

The Individualist

An individualist leader acknowledges that none of the above action logics is predetermined. They are all constructions of the world and oneself. This idea helps individualist leaders to build their personalities. Contrary to what is observed in previously discussed action logics, individualists ensure proper communication with people. The difference between achievers and them is that individualists are usually aware of any possible clashes between their actions and principles in relation to the prevailing organizational ethical standards. Individualists demonstrate the behavior of ignoring rules, which they view as inappropriate. This character makes them irritate their bosses and colleagues. They use unconventional means to achieve their goals while sometimes disregarding the laid down processes and guidelines.

The Strategist

The strategist is another action logic, which focuses on perceptions and organizational constraints, treating them as both transformable and discussable. Leaders who embrace this style are very rare, accounting for only 4 percent of individuals sampled in Rooke and Torbert’s article. Strategists help in creating collective visions in all other action logics. This trait encourages both organizational and personal transformations. Strategists comfortably handle conflicts compared to other leaders discussed previously. They also acknowledge people’s ability to resist change. As a result, they are viewed as highly effective agents of change. Strategists have three levels of social relationships, which include organizational associations, personal affairs, and global and regional developments. They work towards creating ethical practices and principles that do not seek to serve individual interests or those of their organizations.

The Alchemist

Alchemists focus on reformulating or renewing their organizations. Unlike a strategist who moves from one state of affairs to another, an alchemist can deal with several situations simultaneously on multiple levels. Leaders in this action logic can communicate with commoners and prominent individuals. They can also deal with instant priorities while stilling maintaining their plan for achieving long-term organizational goals. In addition to being charismatic, they are aware of global happenings. Furthermore, such leaders uphold great moral standards. Alchemists focus on facts, as opposed to hearsays. Unfortunately, they are extremely rare, accounting for only 1 percent of leaders observed in the article under study. Rooke and Torbert identify the late Nelson Mandela as an alchemist. Mandela’s ability to appeal to both black and white supporters made him a unique leader who amicably addressed racial tensions that had hit South Africa in the 1990s.

Elon Musk: A Global Business Leader

Elon Musk, a South African-born investor, founded X.com, SpaceX, and Tesla Motors. He has earned several accolades as a global business leader because of his remarkable leadership skills that have a bearing on various action logic types discussed above. At SpaceX, Musk demonstrated the achiever’s action logic when SpaceX successfully launched a rocket capable of sending commercial vehicles to the International Space Station in 2012. In addition, he proved the importance of reusable parts during a triumphant test flight after landing Falcon 9 rocket in space. In addition, under his leadership, the U.S. government granted SpaceX the authorization to launch satellites into space to provide Internet services. The project also enhanced broadband services to people within rural areas. Despite critics opining that the mission was a safety hazard, it remains a successful milestone achieved under Musk’s leadership.

Unlike other leaders, Musk has always been obsessed with his work. He has endured long hours of work because of his desire to achieve various organizational goals. As a result, he sets high expectations for himself and his team of employees. In case of conflicts, Musk understands that they are brought by differences in the way workers interpret organizational issues. Most of his employees agree that he sometimes restarts a project, despite having spent substantial resources in executing his idea. As such, he openly demonstrates that the achievement of goals requires a leader who can influence others positively. He is passionate about his work. His enthusiasm has set him apart as an enterprising person who does not compromise work ethics. However, he is keen on criticizing poor performance. In particular, after the sale of PayPal, Musk had enough money that could afford him a life of luxury. However, he invested in SolarCity, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX because he wanted to accomplish the goal of service international clients. He even secured personal loans to keep his investments afloat during challenging economic times. As an achiever, he insists on a hands-on approach to leadership because he believes the success of a business is hinged on the dedication of its top management team.

Musk, as an alchemist, is a true believer of what he represents. His TED talks are evidence of someone who takes his work personally while fiercely guarding what he loves. For a company to be successful, a leader should exhibit passion before addressing employees’ demands or investing in a particular brand. In a video named “Fireflies”, Tesla’s fans from all classes openly demonstrated their enthusiasm and love towards the brand under Musk’s leadership. He confirmed his capability of influencing commoners and professionals at all levels in extraordinary ways. This loyalty resulted from Musk’s devotion to his vision.

In a capitalist society, it is common to have company leaders amassing wealth and focusing on pleasing investors. In many times, businesses are closed because of the lack of funds following the pulling out of investors. However, Musk’s strategist character made him overcome such occurrences. He believes in improving and empowering the community and triggering positive relations among all interested parties. Musk has always pursued success by seeking well-calculated strategies for improving the efficiency of employees and the society. In particular, when he allowed the use of Tesla’s valuable battery technology by another automobile manufacturer, Musk was strategic because he wanted to influence other companies to take up clean sources of energy. Analysts present his goodwill and promising strategies as reasons why investors did not leave, despite Tesla Motors experiencing losses. Musk firmly believes in empowering others without expecting anything in return.

As a company’s CEO, one is expected to perform his or her duties with the view of teaching others to follow the example demonstrated. Just like a diplomat, Musk believes that leaders are expected to work harder compared to their employees. In addition, they should take care of workers’ demands before addressing their personal needs. Companies with such policies experience low turnover rates. Instead, they have a motivated workforce. Musk’s diplomatic trait has encouraged companies’ leaders to shed the boss attitude and focus on ensuring all departments function properly. In case of division among employees, diplomats’ approachability helps to solve problems before they escalate. Through his company, SpaceX, Musk intends to conquer Mars by ensuring a stable Internet connectivity on the planet. With such risky and costly goals, Musk first demonstrates to his employees that the task can be done if they cooperate in implementing it. As such, he has established a culture whereby workers realize that their hard work is meant to benefit the organization, as opposed to the leader. As a result, they always feel motivated to the extent of remaining loyal to the company.

Conclusion

Through various transformations of leadership, business proprietors change their workplaces using employees as valuable assets that can lead to some desired outcomes. By applying various action logics, leaders’ comprehension of unique management styles enhances their capability of steering companies’ operations. The individual action logic is often based on a person’s overall qualities, including the ability to treat employees with respect. Opportunists are strict adherents of the law. In addition, such leaders dislike corrections. They maintain their positions, despite being wrong. On the other hand, diplomats often strive to please their senior managers while controlling behaviors of other employees. Achievers maintain good working relations among staff members. Unlike other action logics, leaders in this action logic embrace feedback. As a result, they are aware the issue of conflicts in the workplace. Experts rely on their excellent problem-solving techniques to control employees. In addition to being practical, individualists often disregard rules. On the other hand, strategists strive to empower those around them while alchemists are concerned with reinventing their organizations. Elon Musk has been presented as a global business leader whose manner of operating depicts him as a diplomat, a strategist, an achiever, and an alchemist.

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