1 Person of the Year: Elon Musk Julie Murphy CTE 3370: Introduction to Leadership Dr. Tyrone Smith 3/22/2022 2 When looking at contemporary leaders and pioneers of technology, no one can deny Elon Musk's impact on this generation. Musk is an incredibly brilliant and intellectual individual who is a visionary in his field. He was named Times 2021 Person of the Year because his companies and inventions positively contribute to humanity. He is a true leader and dominates his field and social media. He is one of the wealthiest men alive. His company, Tesla, has been cutting edge of technology and making electric cars. SpaceX is working with NASA and sending civilians into space. Elon Musk is changing the world as we know it. One of Elon Musk's most significant weaknesses is the size and scope of his dreams and idea. He often will have an idea or vision that is so far out of the scope of application that it creates tensions and costs that his employees cannot keep up with. Another negative trait might be his use of social media. He has a significant social media presence and is influential on that platform. His social media feeds are controversial and have been said to be juvenile. He uses his influence with social platforms to freely share his opinion and humor, which have created tension, feuds, and political division. He also appears to struggle with working with members of his team who do not share in the same vision or drive that he has. As a leader, he struggles with relating to other people and making genuine emotional connections to people. Despite the weaknesses and challenges he faced, he has become one of the world's wealthiest and most influential men. His visions, intelligence, and unending drive will change the world. He might one day lead us on the first voyage to Mars. He might create a fully self-driving car. Countless technological advancements Musk is working on today will impact society's future generations. 3 References Ball, M., Kluger, J., & de la Garza, A. (2021, December 13). Elon Musk Is TIME’s 2021 Person of the Year. Time. https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2021-elon-musk/