Elon Musk : In a recent LinkedIn post, James Watt, co-founder of global craft beer giant BrewDog, shared some powerful insights from none other than Elon Musk—insights that could help reshape how we think about productivity in business.
Watt referenced a now-famous internal email Musk sent to Tesla employees back in 2018. Though it was leaked years ago, the message remains incredibly relevant today. In it, Musk laid out a set of straightforward yet bold principles designed to boost efficiency and eliminate the clutter that often slows down large companies.
Elon Musk ’s No-Nonsense Rules for Workplace Productivity
Here’s a breakdown of Musk’s key principles:
- “Excessive meetings are the blight of big companies.”
According to Musk, endless or poorly run meetings are one of the biggest time-wasters. They eat into valuable work time and can seriously hinder a team’s momentum. - “Walk out of a meeting as soon as it’s obvious you aren’t adding value.”
Musk encourages employees to be brutally honest about their contribution. If you’re not actively bringing value to the discussion, your time is better spent elsewhere. - “Communication should travel via the shortest path.”
Forget bureaucracy. Musk believes that the fastest, most effective communication happens when information flows directly—no unnecessary middlemen or rigid hierarchy. - “Use common sense. If a rule is ridiculous, change it.”
Company policies are meant to serve people and progress—not the other way around. Musk urges teams to challenge outdated or illogical rules instead of blindly following them.
Do These Rules Actually Work?
The real question isn’t just what Musk’s rules are—but do they actually move the needle?
At their core, these guidelines promote focus, autonomy, and common sense. When employees spend less time in unproductive meetings and more time doing impactful work, companies naturally become more agile and efficient. Likewise, simplifying communication helps prevent delays and reduces the chances of misinterpretation.
Of course, Musk’s methods are not without critics. His leadership style is often described as polarizing. But results speak volumes—Tesla, now valued at over $570 billion, is one of the most successful and influential electric vehicle manufacturers in the world. That kind of impact doesn’t happen by accident.
A Takeaway for Every Business
James Watt closed his post with a call to action for leaders: take a hard look at your company culture. Are there processes and habits in place that actually hinder growth instead of helping it?
“Most of the processes you think are important are actually getting in the way of you scaling—not assisting it,” Watt wrote. He encourages founders and managers to revisit Musk’s email and ask themselves, What can we eliminate to work smarter, not harder?
Final Thoughts: Elon Musk’s productivity rules might not be revolutionary on paper, but their strength lies in their simplicity. In a world full of noise, sometimes trimming the fat is exactly what your business needs to grow.
