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Person of the Year: Elon Musk
Julie Murphy
CTE 3370: Introduction to Leadership
Dr. Tyrone Smith
3/22/2022
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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.
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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/