Hacker News Reader

Comment by nem000 | Hacker News Reader

I posted this article because I'm really afraid that many young entrepreneurs take Elon Musk (and Steve Jobs, etc.) as role models and get the impression that in order to be successful you have to be an abusive brick.

I've recently read Walter Isaacson's "The Innovators" and there seem to be at least a couple of counterexamples (Robert Noyce for instance). Any other examples of tech leaders who lead their companies in a friendly and open manner and are successful despite (or probably because) of that?

View on HN

You see the same debates about military leadership - some very famous military leaders were apparently pretty unpleasant at a personal level - then at the other end of the spectrum you have people like Leonard Cheshire who was tough but thoroughly decent and treated everyone at all levels with respect:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cheshire

Edit:

Worth reading the list of missions he was on then the description of how he led:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cheshire#Cheshire_as_o...

Alexander Suvorov

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Suvorov#Assessment

"He had a great simplicity of manner, and while on a campaign lived as a private soldier, sleeping on straw and contenting himself with the humblest fare.[43] Suvorov was adored by his men and considered victory dependent on the morale, training, and initiative of the front-line soldier. In battle he emphasized speed and mobility, accuracy of gunfire and the use of the bayonet, as well as detailed planning and careful strategy. He abandoned traditional drills and instead communicated with his troops in ways that proved clear and understandable. Suvorov also took great care of his army's supplies and living conditions, reducing cases of illness among his soldiers dramatically."

Why would anyone get the impression they have to be an abusive brick? No one is claiming that, are you saying young entrepreneurs are sheep and blindly follow Elon's behavioral patterns?

This piece is okay, it provides a number of anecdotes by former employees, how do we verify these are accurate and not misleading? They square with some former reports, but do not square with other positive anecdotes I've read. This is the problem with using anecdotes as evidence.

In my view, executives and other high-ranking individuals are often mean and unfair due to extreme ambition and very high, sustained stress levels. Could someone without extreme ambition have even gotten to this point with Tesla? Do you recall how many bullshit hit pieces, legal obstacles, and issues there have been standing in Tesla's way?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com