An expert from Harvard University’s Business School recently shared his thoughts on Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and the subsequent changes he implemented. According to Bill George, an executive fellow and former CEO of Medtronic, Musk seems to be “totally out of his element” when it comes to social media, as it is not his area of expertise.
Musk’s Twitter Takeover Seen as a Poor Example
George expressed his concerns about Musk’s takeover of Twitter, stating that it could serve as a case study of a poorly executed organizational acquisition. He further emphasized that he believes Musk lacks a comprehensive understanding of social media dynamics.
Significant Changes Under Musk’s Leadership
After acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022, Musk made drastic changes to the company’s personnel and public-facing platform interface. He swiftly removed key executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Sagal, chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett. Additionally, he laid off nearly half of the company’s 8,000 employees, introduced new features like charging users $7.99 for a blue-check verification, and recently changed Twitter’s iconic blue bird logo to an ‘X.’
Criticism on Musk’s Transformation of Twitter
Despite Musk’s successful ventures with Tesla and SpaceX, George believes that his approach to transforming Twitter is a major misstep. The expert emphasized that Musk should consider stepping back and allowing Twitter’s new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, to lead the platform.
Experts Call for Delegation of Leadership
Another management professor from Columbia Business School, William Klepper, echoed George’s sentiments, referring to Musk’s Twitter takeover as a “case study of failed leadership.” Klepper suggested that Musk should refrain from being the CEO of the company and instead hire capable managers for each functional element. This approach would allow Musk to focus on the conglomerate’s overall vision while benefiting from the expertise of those managing individual entities.
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