his ultralogical mission statement. “The only thing that makes sense to do is strive for greater collective enlightenment,”

Both companies were designed with this vision of motivating a critical mass of talented people to work on inspiring things.”

Both Musk and Stark were the type of men, according to Downey, who “had seized an idea to live by and something to dedicate themselves to” and were not going to waste a moment.

you.” Eberhard then thanked some of the key engineers and called out their efforts in public. Many of the engineers had been pulling all-nighters on a regular basis and Eberhard’s show boosted morale. “We were all working ourselves to the point of exhaustion,” said David Vespremi, a former Tesla spokesman. “Then came this profound moment where we w

That ability to stay focused in the midst of a crisis stands as one of Musk’s main advantages over other executives and competitors.

The guiding principle at SpaceX is to embrace your work and get stuff done. People who await guidance or detailed instructions languish.

One thing that Musk holds in the highest regard is resolve, and he respects people who continue on after being told no.

What Musk has developed that so many of the entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley lack is a meaningful worldview. He’s the possessed genius on the grandest quest anyone has ever concocted. He’s less a CEO chasing riches than a general marshaling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to . . . well

‘The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been since you should have fired them,’”