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




Changes and Cash Flow Improvement
Construction is a cash-intensive business and change orders are often one of the root causes of poor cash flow. A 30-day improvement to change management workflow can generate over $400K in additional cash flow for a $50M contractor.
Tasks vs. Key Results
“Life favors the specific ask and punishes the vague wish.” - Tim Ferriss Excellent advice from the book Tribe of Mentors that can be applied to the hiring and management process for contractors.
Project Delivery - CM at Risk
The Construction Management at Risk (CMAR) delivery model combines the best elements of Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build and eliminates many of the negatives.