If not Musk, who would it be?
That question has been on the minds of many since Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced this week that he was actively searching for a new leader to take over the helm of the company.
Musk made the statement after more than 10 million respondents to a Twitter poll created by Musk said he should resign. Musk then tweeted that he would resign once he found someone "dumb enough to take the job.It's one of many twists and turns in a chaotic reorganization since Musk took over Twitter in late October, a period that has seen mass layoffs and resignations, advertisers fleeing, policy changes and reversals, and some journalists' accounts is suspended.
Andrew Miller, chief growth officer at Interbrand North America, a global brand consultancy, said Musk's management style is one of tearing down and building later.
atypical transformation
The search for a new Twitter CEO has left many wondering who might be up for the job. Musk will remain Twitter's boss, and the task of turning around a struggling, chronically underperforming company will be daunting.
"The risk of being fired or being forced to resign is quite substantial. So the person has to be comfortable with that," said Andy Wu, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School who studies tech entrepreneurship and strategy.
Musk, who is also CEO of electric car company Tesla, has reportedly planned to serve as CEO of Twitter for only a few months. In recent weeks, Tesla investors have called on Musk to spend more time with the company.
Some industry watchers believe Musk's poll is an attempt to prepare the public for a planned Twitter leadership transition.
"I think he's ready to do that," said Richard Hagberg, a leadership coach and psychologist who has worked with Silicon Valley CEOs and entrepreneurs. Do it in a dramatic style."
damage control
Hagberg added: He will never admit defeat, but he may apologize for his problems with Tesla's board and the bad PR he personally caused that affected the Tesla brand. "
In addition to Tesla and Twitter, Musk is also CEO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), which makes satellites and rockets.
Whoever takes over as Twitter's CEO must share Musk's vision for the company and accept his participation. Wu noted that Musk has a history of being reluctant to delegate power at his other companies.
"Elon Musk was supposed to be just an investor in Tesla, he wasn't actually the founder, but he couldn't help it, he wanted to be the CEO," Wu said. "If that's a precedent, then What's happening now is that he's leaning toward clinging to power."
Some observers say Musk's obsession with creating headlines and creating a public sensation could also make it harder for him to quit Twitter altogether. Twitter in January , surpassing former US President Barack Obama, whose account currently has 130 million fans, ranking first.
"Of course Elon Musk knows his public image, and (Twitter) is his direct way to shape his public image. So it's especially difficult for him to get out," Wu said.
Whether Musk remains involved in Twitter's day-to-day operations or becomes a quiet boss, his potential CEO successor will have the task of cutting expenses, raising revenue, and putting Twitter on the path to success.
Wu noted that a calmer, more collected demeanor than Musk's would be helpful.
"The cuts they're going through at the moment are all economically necessary, so we need someone who is ready to fill the role," he said.
Some industry watchers have pointed to possible successors from Musk's inner circle, such as Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey or venture capitalist David Sacks, while others Speculation is that the successor could be a seasoned tech executive from the outside, such as Sheryl Sandberg, the former chief operating officer of Facebook (now Meta).
inspire a higher sense of purpose
Whoever succeeds Twitter as CEO must evoke a higher sense of purpose among employees.
"They need to believe in a mission beyond day-to-day reality, or the style won't work because you're demanding far more from your people than managers in other companies," says Miller of Intel Brands North America. It has to come from the heart of the employee.”
Musk has a track record of success in this regard, rallying Tesla employees around his electric car climate change solution and energizing SpaceX employees with dreams of landing on Mars. Musk also tried to rally Twitter employees around the idea of expanding free speech on Twitter, with mixed results.
Hagberg categorizes Musk as a "visionary evangelist," defined as a leader who thinks he has a vision for the future, but can also be cocky. It's hard to imagine Twitter having two "visionary evangelists" at the same time. In any case, observers say, the new chief executive will have some work to do to keep the current turbulent workforce happy.
"If you want people to support you, you need to understand how to systematically convince them of what you want to do," Hagberg said.
