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Elon Musk Wins 2012 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Leadership Award

95 points by MikeCapone 14y ago

MikeCapone 14y ago
I hope many kids read about this man's exploits and are inspired to follow suit in tackling hard problems with the potential to change the world. Wish we had more smart people doing that...
Nevaeh 14y ago
Just 3 weeks ago, Elon received the Mars Pioneer Award from the Mars Society. Here is his acceptance speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK0kTcJFnVk#t=10m56s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK0kTcJFnVk#t=10m56s I look forward to listening to his next speech, hopefully geared towards motivating others to innovate new world changing technology. Something like his Caltech speech: http://commencement.caltech.edu/archive/2012_address http://commencement.caltech.edu/archive/2012_address
- MikeCapone 14y ago
  A couple more Musk videos for those who might have missed them when they first came out: Bloomberg profile that gives a good overview of his companies: http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-bloomberg-risk-takers.html http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-b... Reddit AMA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6K8NkJpUei4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6...
  - john626 14y ago
    The Bloomberg video is one of the most interesting tech interviews I've ever seen.
confluence 14y ago
Well deserved but I do have a bone to pick with awards retrospectively given after the outcome and then attributing success to individuals ex post facto. What exactly is the point of calling a success after the success? Seems like redundant ass kissing to me. A fawning mix between humanity's hindsight bias mixed with a large dollop of the sharp shooter fallacy. Indeed, if I recall correctly, two of the most awarded companies of the late 90s were Enron and MCI WorldCom by the likes of Fortune, Forbes and other "respectable" business journals. Not stating that Musk is like those guys at all - but it does make me wonder about the true purpose of awards.
- Nevaeh 14y ago
  Elon probably shares your sentiments, since he was an avid reader of Feynman. Source: http://www.iop.org/careers/workinglife/profiles/page_37749.html http://www.iop.org/careers/workinglife/profiles/page_37749.h... Feynman himself once said that he didn't like honors: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61KMw5zVhg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61KMw5zVhg So when Elon won the Lady Vivamus sword after accepting the heinlein award for advances in space commercialization, he fools around with it instead of just being another trophy, sometimes to impress the ladies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRpqZjfFzGg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRpqZjfFzGg
  - jilli2 14y ago
    Yeah Elon is perfect. Except for being peer pressured by shady super wealthy people.
    - Nevaeh 14y ago
      I apologize for the hero worship, but I was merely trying to share some information that might be interesting to others. Elon is by no means perfect, his public speaking needs a lot of work, for example. Curiously though, he doesn't stutter at all when he was interviewed by Hannah. =)
pvnick 14y ago
Anybody have any information on Elon Musk's leadership style? What makes him so successful at inspiring people and making efficient organizations?
- Nevaeh 14y ago
  A similar question was asked on Quora, and there were some pretty good answers. http://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-work-with-Elon-Musk http://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-work-with-Elon-Musk

95 points by MikeCapone 14y ago

I hope many kids read about this man's exploits and are inspired to follow suit in tackling hard problems with the potential to change the world. Wish we had more smart people doing that...

Nevaeh 14y ago

Just 3 weeks ago, Elon received the Mars Pioneer Award from the Mars Society. Here is his acceptance speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK0kTcJFnVk#t=10m56s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK0kTcJFnVk#t=10m56s I look forward to listening to his next speech, hopefully geared towards motivating others to innovate new world changing technology. Something like his Caltech speech: http://commencement.caltech.edu/archive/2012_address http://commencement.caltech.edu/archive/2012_address

MikeCapone 14y ago
A couple more Musk videos for those who might have missed them when they first came out: Bloomberg profile that gives a good overview of his companies: http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-bloomberg-risk-takers.html http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-b... Reddit AMA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6K8NkJpUei4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6...
- john626 14y ago
  The Bloomberg video is one of the most interesting tech interviews I've ever seen.

confluence 14y ago

Well deserved but I do have a bone to pick with awards retrospectively given after the outcome and then attributing success to individuals ex post facto. What exactly is the point of calling a success after the success? Seems like redundant ass kissing to me. A fawning mix between humanity's hindsight bias mixed with a large dollop of the sharp shooter fallacy. Indeed, if I recall correctly, two of the most awarded companies of the late 90s were Enron and MCI WorldCom by the likes of Fortune, Forbes and other "respectable" business journals. Not stating that Musk is like those guys at all - but it does make me wonder about the true purpose of awards.

Nevaeh 14y ago
Elon probably shares your sentiments, since he was an avid reader of Feynman. Source: http://www.iop.org/careers/workinglife/profiles/page_37749.html http://www.iop.org/careers/workinglife/profiles/page_37749.h... Feynman himself once said that he didn't like honors: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61KMw5zVhg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61KMw5zVhg So when Elon won the Lady Vivamus sword after accepting the heinlein award for advances in space commercialization, he fools around with it instead of just being another trophy, sometimes to impress the ladies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRpqZjfFzGg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRpqZjfFzGg
- jilli2 14y ago
  Yeah Elon is perfect. Except for being peer pressured by shady super wealthy people.
  - Nevaeh 14y ago
    I apologize for the hero worship, but I was merely trying to share some information that might be interesting to others. Elon is by no means perfect, his public speaking needs a lot of work, for example. Curiously though, he doesn't stutter at all when he was interviewed by Hannah. =)

pvnick 14y ago

Anybody have any information on Elon Musk's leadership style? What makes him so successful at inspiring people and making efficient organizations?

Nevaeh 14y ago
A similar question was asked on Quora, and there were some pretty good answers. http://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-work-with-Elon-Musk http://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-work-with-Elon-Musk