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Down to These 5 Key Personality Traits
Here's how to incorporate them into your own entrepreneurial journey.
But can we describe why Musk is the way he is? And can we not only quantify those
things that make Musk so successful, but also begin to embody them in our own lives?
This might be a little bit more difficult to do, but I think it's possible.
I’ve spent much of my professional life working with incredibly high performers, and
although they all impress me to no end with their talents, habits and work ethic, they
don’t quite reach Musk’s level. For some time now, I’ve been assessing
Musk and have outlined five different reasons that explain why he's so successful. I’ll
talk about them here.
There’s an anecdote Musk’s first wife tells of him back in college. He received a 98%
on one of his tests. Being a perfectionist, he went to his professor and got them to
change his score to a 100%. Now many of you will read this and think: Why? What’s
the point of doing that? I would have been happy with a 98%. I feel the exact same
way. But this small, simple detail is a defining one.
You see, the 2% that separated Musk from his current score and perfection sounded to
him like a giant “no.” But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Even if it was for 2%.
That 100% meant enough to him that he put himself in a possibly awkward situation,
speaking with his professor, and had the hard conversation that many people shy away
from. In the end, he got his way. Why? Because “no” meant nothing.
If we can overcome the initial fear of being told “no” and understand that no truly
means nothing, we’ll be better for it. How many opportunities are lost because of our
fear of asking?
Related: A German Scientist Predicted That a Person Named 'Elon' Would Lead
Humans to Mars
Musk has perfected the art of remaining focused. In fact, there was a time during
Tesla's infancy where a specific problem needed solving, so Musk would sleep under
his desk and work 75-hour weeks until that problem was solved.
He didn’t think about anything else. He wasn’t distracted by other, tedious tasks. All
he focused on was the task at hand. Now look at Tesla: it’s a booming giant that’s
changing the automotive world. It certainly wouldn’t be that way without Musk’s
unblinking focus at the forefront.
This focus has allowed Musk to perfect the art of getting into a “flow state,” "the
mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling
of energized focus, full involvement and enjoyment in the process of the activity.”
This flow state is only achieved when the person can perform undistracted by other,
less-significant tasks.
Think of your own work life and the way you go about your day-to-day tasks. How
often are you distracted? How often does something small in scale pull your attention
away, making you less productive and less effective? How can you schedule your day
so you can complete one task, then move to the next, effectively, excitedly and
purposefully?
Another factor that helps Musk get into and remain in the flow state has to do with the
quality of work he’s doing. Musk is a perfect case study for someone whose work
ethic is fueled by his passion. He loves what he’s doing, because he does what he
loves. His passion for his work is so intense that it fuels late-night shifts, motivates 80-
hour work weeks and, like we talked about in the last section, sleeping under his desk.
The truth is, if we are passionate — or find passion — in the work we’re doing, work
stops feeling like work. It turns into a mission or game, and we find ourselves
enjoying what we’re doing. Eighty-hour work weeks don’t feel like work weeks,
because our passion is fueling us.
Many of Musk’s grand ideas come from small questions. How do we make California
transit more convenient? A railroad. An electric railroad. An electric railroad that goes
through an enormous tunnel, dug into the side of a mountain. The initial question is
always small, then the answers grow progressively bigger. He then takes each answer
to the question and attempts to flesh it out in the best possible way. The Musk way.
So find a small idea. Give the obvious answers, then put your spin on those answers
and pursue them with tenacity. Big ideas always come from small thinking.
Musk is obviously intense. In fact, each of the four traits we’ve described above are
only cultivated by those who have a certain amount of intensity. However, Musk does
it in a healthy, constructive way.
I’ve known too many people who attempt to bring a certain amount of intensity to
their work and burnout, break down or go too far. They push people out, spiral out of
control or end up underperforming dramatically.
Related: Elon Musk Responds to a Request From a Tweeter Who Sent Him the
Same Message 154 Times