5 Lessons We Can Learn About Healthy Conflict from Elon Musk

Some have called Elon Musk a “change agent.” Others have labeled his innovative ways as “ego driven.”

Whether you love watching Musk with the same attention you give your favorite quarterback on game day, or you’re tired of him making the news, one thing stands out in his career. That’s his propensity for taking on challenges. He orchestrates change like Tom Brady throws passes—confidently and without looking back. And that’s what makes him a strong example in the study of navigating healthy conflict in leadership team performance.

He may not always be on the correct side of managing conflict, but there are lessons to be learned from his management style. Here are a few lessons from Elon Musk on promoting healthy conflict in a work environment.

Spend Time Where the Problems Are

As Bill Green wrote in an article in Inc. several years ago, “Being a leader isn’t about sitting in the corner office. It’s about spending time where the problems are.” There’s much more to leadership team performance than occupying a seat and a desk with a nameplate. And there’s also no immediate respect that comes with the position. It’s something that’s earned.

While many leaders view conflict as a negative word, strong leaders know it is a neutral concept. The situation that caused the conflict may be negative, but the possibility for change can bring about a positive. In this way, conflict can be leveraged–not managed or controlled– for optimum workplace performance.

How do strong leaders approach conflict to ensure it is healthy for their enterprise and not a detriment?

Conflict worsens over time if those involved feel like they’re not being heard or a resolution from leadership is taking too long. Allowing transparency in the resolution process can ensure all parties feel better about it and, thus, the eventual outcomes.

Elon Musk admits he moves to the area where the biggest problem is. He seeks out the discord and the difficulties. Being among the strife is how he begins to understand the friction and brainstorm ways to solve it. Being nearby also allows him to better comprehend the moving parts of the conflict.

Be More Open

Empathy is key to creating an environment where conflict is leveraged for top performance and solutions. Understanding the team’s motives, emotions, backgrounds, and responses can help ease transitions and smooth conflict.

This is an area that Musk has taken some flack. Even his long-time business partner and brother, Kimbal, admits he’s not particularly empathetic on an individual basis but has great empathy for humanity, concerning himself with big solutions for the environment and world peace.

However, Musk does not shy away from introspection and requires the same of his team. He said, “I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”

Go Second

Avoid sharing your ideas first. Instead, ask others for their thoughts on the issue/conflict. Disagree with concepts or solutions, not people. Words like “you’re wrong” don’t solve problems and discourage people from offering their opinions. After all, no one wants to be called out as being “wrong,” especially not in a group setting.

Leaders who see a hole in the proposed solution should ask questions to see if the proposer has considered it. Come to the table assuming everyone wants the best outcome for the company and work backward from there. Respect others’ intentions.

Musk challenges his employees to add value to every meeting they attend or conference call they are on, no matter the level. He says, “Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren’t adding value. It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.”

Be Persistent and Clear

See things through to completion. Don’t give up just because the compromise is difficult or time-consuming. Set clear expectations for conflict resolution. Hold yourself and others accountable to the same standards.

Musk encourages employees to skip the chain of command if the situation calls for it. He also admits that you should break company protocol if what you’re doing could be part of a Dilbert cartoon. He said, “The problem is that at a lot of big companies, process becomes a substitute for thinking. You’re encouraged to behave like a little gear in a complex machine. Frankly, it allows you to keep people who aren’t that smart, who aren’t that creative.” Without a way to handle healthy conflict, the best and brightest will leave because they will feel stymied and unsupported.

However, sometimes Musk can be too clear and straightforward. He once told Tesla managers that they have three ways to proceed when they receive an email from him with specific directions. They should either:

1. explain why he’s wrong
2. ask for clarification
3. execute the directions

He also is facing many challenges with his purchase of Twitter. After threatening to cut 50% of the workforce and saying they would need to work strenuously to keep the company afloat, he said, “For those who are able to go hard core and play to win, Twitter is a good place. And those who are not, totally understand, but then Twitter is not for you.”

Musk is brash in his communication style but ultimately sets clear expectations for the type of hard work that lies ahead. When managing conflict, clarity is important, yet so is delivery.

Admit When Something Isn’t Working

While many detractors of Musk will be quick to point out his egotism in examples like trying to draft a peace accord between Russia and Ukraine, Musk knows that in managing healthy conflict, a party must be able to admit their solution didn’t work. He said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” Musk creates an environment that allows solution providers and implementers an exit, while still saving face. By encouraging quick failures, he follows in the line of Steve Jobs’ thinking—fail quickly, learn more.

If you institute a solution that isn’t working, don’t feel tied to it. Instead, fail quickly, learn the lesson, and try another solution. In a recent example, Musk sought to end the problems behind verified accounts and potential fraud by switching Twitter’s verified accounts process to a pay-to-play model. When fraud increased (instead of decreasing as expected), the new CEO paused the new rule of paying for verification.

If you don’t allow employees to feel comfortable with the possibility of failure, they will be hesitant to suggest solutions to conflict.

An environment that makes respectful, healthy conflict a part of the solutions process and team leadership, will ensure all voices are heard and multiple solutions are examined. Discouraging conflict and encouraging tacit head nods to proposals not only silence creative ideas but creates an environment where employees are disengaged.

Musk may not always be a shining example for mastering conflict, but leaders can still learn a lot from his choices and decisions. At Liddell Consulting Group, we can show your leadership team the importance of healthy conflict as well as how they can navigate it to grow and strengthen your organization and their leadership team performance. Contact us today to learn more.