Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s work ethic has garnered praise from Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and multiple other businesses. What makes Musk so complimentary is that they both firmly think that great leadership requires a hands-on management approach. Two well-known tech sector figures show how much they value being actively involved in the day-to-day operations of their respective businesses by showing such mutual respect.
Jensen Huang, known for his relentless work ethic, attributes part of his management style to his early experiences working at Denny’s, a popular breakfast chain. During his time there, Huang washed dishes and cleaned toilets. He believes that no task is beneath him, a philosophy that has significantly shaped his approach to leadership at Nvidia. Huang shared in an interview with Stanford’s Graduate School of Business that his humble beginnings instilled in him a strong sense of dedication and hands-on problem-solving, which he applies in his current role.
Huang’s belief in the importance of direct involvement resonates with Elon Musk, who also champions a similar work ethic. Musk’s endorsement of Huang’s approach was evident in his response to a clip of Huang’s interview. Musk commented on X (formerly Twitter) that it was absolutely the right attitude. Musk also shared his own experiences of being hands-on during critical times, such as the toilet paper shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he ensured his factories and offices were adequately supplied.
Musk’s commitment to his companies often involves going to great lengths to understand and address issues firsthand. He famously spent nights sleeping on the floor of Tesla’s factories to personally inspect the vehicles coming off the production line. In a 2018 interview with Bloomberg, Musk explained that the reason he slept on the floor was not because he couldn’t go across the road and be at a hotel. It was because he wanted his circumstances to be worse than anyone else at the company. Whenever they felt pain, he wanted his to be worse. This approach underscores Musk’s belief in leading by example and sharing in the challenges faced by his employees.
The admiration Musk has for Huang’s work ethic is not solely based on their shared values. It also reflects the interconnected nature of their business interests. Nvidia’s chips are critical to Musk’s ambitions in artificial intelligence, particularly in Tesla’s development of self-driving cars and the advancement of his AI company, xAI. The reliance on Nvidia’s technology makes the relationship between Musk and Huang strategically important.
Huang has also expressed respect for Musk’s advancements, particularly in the field of autonomous driving. In a May interview with Yahoo Finance, Huang acknowledged Tesla’s lead in self-driving technology, stating that Tesla is far ahead in self-driving cars, but every single car, someday, will have to have autonomous capability. Musk responded with gratitude, reflecting the mutual respect between the two leaders.
The connection between Musk and Huang extends beyond personal admiration; it is also driven by the synergies in their technological pursuits. Musk’s vision for AI and autonomous vehicles relies heavily on the cutting-edge technology provided by Nvidia. This dependence underscores the importance of a strong working relationship between their companies. Despite Musk’s history of publicly clashing with other prominent figures known for their work ethic, such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban, his interactions with Huang have remained positive and supportive.
The respect between Musk and Huang highlights a shared belief in the power of hands-on leadership and a relentless work ethic. Their experiences underscore the importance of being directly involved in the day-to-day operations of their companies, setting an example for their employees, and maintaining a close connection to the core challenges and successes of their businesses. This approach has played a significant role in their ability to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge in their respective fields.
Elon Musk’s admiration for Jensen Huang’s work ethic is rooted in their shared values of hands-on leadership and a commitment to being directly involved in their companies’ operations. Huang’s early experiences working at Denny’s, where he performed tasks such as washing dishes and cleaning toilets, shaped his approach to leadership at Nvidia. Musk’s own experiences of being directly involved in addressing operational challenges at Tesla further emphasize the importance of this management style. The mutual respect between Musk and Huang also reflects the strategic importance of their business relationship, particularly given Tesla’s reliance on Nvidia’s technology for its AI and autonomous driving ambitions. This connection highlights the significance of hands-on leadership in driving innovation and success in the tech industry.
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