Elon Musk's Model for Rapid Organizational Change Revealed. The good stuff.

This morning, I read a piece about Elon Musk and Change Leadership on Forbes. It argued that Musk's leadership style contradicts everything we know about building great companies in the age of disruption.

That struck me as… odd??

Because if Elon Musk is doing everything wrong, how did he become the richest man in the world while leading transformation in three of the toughest industries—automotive, space, and alternative energy?

BRIGHT SPOTS FOR ACCELERATING CHANGE

Having spent the last 17 years coaching leaders through major change, and getting certified on the psychology of change, I’ve learned a crucial principle:

?? Notice what’s working and do more of it.

It's called Bright Spots methodology.

So, what are the things Musk does right that drive his success? And how can leaders apply these principles to create faster, more effective change?

Let’s break it down using Kotter’s Change Model, one of the best frameworks for leading organizational transformation.

What does Musk do RIGHT according to this effective model?

1. Create Urgency

Musk doesn’t wait for change—he forces it. Whether it’s unplugging critical Twitter services overnight or blowing up rockets in rapid succession, he creates internal crises to push teams beyond their limits.

At Tesla, he called it "production hell"—forcing the team to build cars faster because, well, the company would die if they didn’t. That level of urgency fuels breakthroughs.

Question for you: What if you treated your change efforts like a now-or-never situation?

2. Build a Guiding Coalition

Musk attracts people who are obsessed with their work. Not just talented people, but fanatics—engineers who live and breathe their craft, workaholics who believe in the mission.

We've seen this everywhere in high-performing organizations. The best teams aren’t just skilled; they’re aligned in their obsession. When I coach leadership teams, the moment we cut through the fluff and get everyone fully bought in—that’s when things accelerate.

Question for you: Who are your true believers? Who’s willing to go all-in to make change happen?

3. Develop & Communicate a Vision

Ask a random person on the street why Musk does what he does, and they’ll probably say:

• "He wants to get humans to Mars."

His vision is clear, and everyone—employees, customers, even critics—knows it. YOU know it. That’s why Tesla and SpaceX attract mission-driven talent. You can shame Musk all day long - but you'll hear him and know what he wants.

Most companies struggle with change because their vision is vague. Leaders assume their teams “get it,” but they haven’t actually communicated it well enough.

Question for you: Could your team explain your company’s mission in one sentence? Do they know how they contribute?

4. Remove Barriers

Musk is relentless about removing obstacles. If something isn’t working, he fixes it. If a team is moving too slow, he reassigns them, he joins them until the thing is fixed.

At one of my clients’ companies, a major transformation was stalled because of endless meetings. After a simple shift—cutting approvals from five levels down to two—things took off.

Question for you: What’s the one bottleneck slowing everything down? Can you remove it this week? Is it you? :)

5. Generate Short-Term Wins

Musk is always pushing for visible progress.

Tesla employees talk about how he shows up in the factory, walking the floor, demanding updates. It creates a culture of fast progress. He quite literally breathes behind everyone's backs.

When I work with teams going through big transformations, we make progress visible—mini-goals, quick wins, habit trackers, real momentum.

It keeps people hooked on change.

Question for you: What’s one small win you can celebrate every day with your people? How can you make it visible?

6. Sustain Acceleration

Musk never stops.

One crisis leads to another. He stacks urgency. That’s why SpaceX is already working on Starship before Falcon 9 is even fully retired.

I’ve seen this in companies that dominate their markets—leaders who never let up after the first big win. The energy of change becomes addictive.

Question for you: What’s the next milestone after your first win?

7. Anchor in Culture

Everything Musk does—his hiring, his expectations, his work ethic—reinforces a specific culture. At SpaceX, you have to believe in interplanetary travel. At Tesla, you have to push limits.

The strongest companies don’t just execute change; they become it. That’s how change sticks.

Question for you: Is your culture everyone's air? Do your people live it?

Final Thought: Love Him or Hate Him—The Results Speak for Themselves

Musk’s leadership style isn’t for everyone. Nor is it perfect.

But what is this saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater"? Maybe there's truth to that about learning, and all of us having flaws and things to model after?

If you strip away the headlines and look at the results, there’s a reason Musk's leading some of the most groundbreaking companies on the planet.

How about we'll learn some from him?

Not just point out everything that's wrong with his style.

If you want to drive change fast, take a couple of lessons from Musk:

? Make it urgent.

? Build a hardcore team.

? Be clear on your vision.

? Remove roadblocks.

? Celebrate small wins.

? Never stop accelerating.

? Embed it in culture.

Now, over to you, dear leader—

What’s ONE thing from this list you will start modeling now? ??

Coach Angela,

Culture change that drives business numbers.