Elon Musk’s Brilliant Choice For CEO Of Twitter

Forbes Leadership Leadership Strategy Elon Musk’s Brilliant Choice For CEO Of Twitter Constance Dierickx Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I translate behavioral science to help leaders. Following May 15, 2023, 10:16am EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Linda Yaccarino Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for AWXII getty Few decisions rival selecting a CEO for the most critical job of a board.

Elon Musk, who is known for his spontaneity, has made a sound choice of Linda Yaccarino as the chief executive. However, given that Musk is chairman and chief technology officer, there are obvious and significant speed bumps ahead. Free Speech and Ad Revenue Yaccarino deeply understands advertisers and their preferences as she spent more than ten years at NBCUniversal, most recently as chairman of global advertising and partnerships.

But the Twitter platform and the company are different animals, not only because Musk is involved. Musk and Yaccarino will wrestle with the tension of freedom ofspeech and advertisers’ expectations. A glimpse of their views came during an onstage interview when Yaccarino asked how advertisers would influence Twitter.

Musk replied, “It’s totally cool to say that you want to have your advertising appear in certain places on Twitter and not in other places, but it is not cool to try to say what Twitter will do,” he said. “And if that means losing advertising dollars, we lose it. But freedom of speech is paramount.

” Risk-taking Uncommonly mercurial, even reckless, Musk sometimes gets in the cross-hairs of the SEC , for just one example. Yaccarino is far less impulsive but not risk-averse. In a talk before a private audience, she advised others to take risks and prepare before doing so.

Acknowledging that some people fear taking risks, she encourages others to proceed, even when they are afraid. This advice is a call to courage, not permission to act impulsively. When senior leaders have different risk tolerances, even when they have mutual respect, it can become a source of frustration.

Indeed, the very thing a leader admires and seeks in a colleague – greater risk tolerance or a more measured approach – often becomes irritating when they interfere with what the leader wants to do. MORE FOR YOU New Apple Leak Confirms iPhone 15 Release Shock Netflix s Queen Cleopatra Appears To Have The Worst Audience Score In TV History Dallas Cowboys Not Lacking In Options When It Comes To Replacing Ezekiel Elliott Riptides Musk has chosen a very experienced leader in Linda Yaccarino. She is accustomed to working in a business where rough waters and riptides are familiar, multiple stakeholders are demanding, and they often have competing interests.

Yaccarino has navigated such circumstances, but not only will cross-currents come from external stakeholders but from Musk himself. To complicate the picture, Musk’s dual roles as chairman and chief technology officer blur boundaries, though he isn’t known for respecting them. In such situations, close coordination helps, but Musk’s preference for speed makes it likely that he’ll act without it.

Yaccarino could be a good partner for Musk. Still, they’ll need to work out their “dance steps” if he will prioritize making this pivotal relationship work. If, as one journalist said, Musk relegates her to CEO in name only, the long-term prospects are dimmer, but it’s far too early to bet on that.

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