Elon Musk - Be Less Wrong

Leaders of construction companies will likely never be at the same level of cutting-edge development as Elon Musk is between Space-X and Tesla.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

Except; of course for the first contractor on Mars!  

Quote: You should take the approach that you're wrong. Your goal is to be less wrong. Elon Musk.

Remember that Elon Musk came from a technical background where he was use to creating the future - things that did not exist yet.  His first couple companies were all software with light requirements on capital, relatively small workforce, a single engineering discipline, little government regulation and fewer stakeholders.  

As he is building Space-X and Tesla the complexity has been increased exponentially and he is having to learn to lead through that complexity.  He has had to get use to that constant feeling of uncertainty and refine his skills leading a team even in the face of opposition, failures and many unknowns. 

What construction leaders have in common with Elon Musk is that relative to the last few decades the industry is demanding changes at an exponential rate between technology, project delivery methods, talent shortages and industry consolidation.  

It’s worth learning how Elon Musk views the world and creates a vision for the future; especially how he deals with failure from an analysis and adjustment perspective.   

Elon Musk Biography

Continuous Improvement

Fail 9 Times to Succeed




Jennifer Blackwood - Difficult People
Ultimately there is exactly one person on this planet who you have 100% control over - YOU! The best way to work effectively with difficult people is to look within and figure out what you need to do to make the relationship less difficult; then do it!
Project Cash Metric for Work-in-Progress (WIP)
Do your projects burn or build cash? The biggest cash flow variable for a contractor is their projects. Cash flow is a critical scoreboard metric for contractors.
Changes - Impacts Beyond the Direct Costs
Contractors don't typically see the full negative impact of changes and, therefore, don’t put the right level of resources into their management.