I am an Elon Musk fan. What Elon is doing with all his companies, namely attempting to create a better future for everyone, is something all capable people (wealth-wise) should do. Elon alone can build reusable rockets, electric cars, hyper-loops, internet payment systems and map software.
The resemblance to Tony Stark stops there. If you’ve ever heard Musk speak you will realise he is not talented. I’m not hating on Musk, I love what he stands for, he just isn’t as good as Obama or MLK at speaking. In fact, he’s much worse. What’s not so obvious is that Musk’s ineptitude for public speaking assists him in inspiring his audience towards his ideals.
First, let’s imagine Musk was just better than average at public speaking, flowing through his speeches slowly without “stumbles” (quoted because they’re really just thinking pauses, not mistakes). Would we be more or less inspired by the release of the new Tesla Roadster?
The knee-jerk reaction is that obviously better speaking means more influence over audiences, in fact, that is likely the criterion most speakers are marked against. In Musk’s case, he cares very little about what others think of his ideas, in the grand scheme of things. Of course, he’s a businessman and needs people to like his ideas enough to buy them. But he’s willing to place his bets early e.g. investing in Tesla and making electric cars mainstream rather than waiting for them to become mainstream.
Musk’s closest points of comparison are other CEOs and entrepreneurs. To be a better than average public speaker, is only to be average in the circle of CEOs. Tim Cook is better than average at speaking. Is Cook as compelling as Musk? No. You’re more likely to find Elon Musk fans than you are to find Tim Cook fans, even among Apple enthusiasts. I include myself in that statistic.
Given Musk’s ideas are so ambitious, better-than-average is considered average relative to his ideas. So, I’ve said Musk is a bad public speaker. But why am I saying it’s better to be worse at presenting? He’s not worse because he’s an idiot. Quite the contrary. He’s worse at public speaking because he’s smarter. He stops to think before he says anything, ensuring he’s chosen the right the words to convey the right message. Who better to take you to Mars? I know I’m choosing the guy who will halt to achieve perfection over the guy who continues because the rocket engine is “good enough”.
Let’s say you still agree he’s a worse speaker but assert that his inability to speak as cogently as someone like Tim Cook means his speeches and presentations are less influential. I still believe Musk has an advantage, albeit indirectly. Without the ability to dress up ideas in fancy, well-presented reveals, the product and/or idea itself must be inspiring. I’m yet to see something come from a Musk company I’ve been disappointed with — admittedly I’ve never been launched into space inside a rocket or driven a Tesla, but the products and the progress they represent exist. That alone inspires me.
So, Elon, you do you, and take us to Mars!
