#Forbes Leadership Leadership Strategy: Elon Musk's Brilliant Choice For CEO Of Twitter
Key Highlights :
The choice of Linda Yaccarino as CEO of Twitter is solid, even brilliant. There are speed bumps ahead, but this could become a powerful partnership. Elon Musk, the mercurial, even reckless, founder and chairman of the board of Twitter, has made a sound decision in selecting Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO. Yaccarino is an experienced leader, who has spent more than ten years at NBCUniversal, most recently as chairman of global advertising and partnerships.
The decision to bring Yaccarino on board is a wise one, as it will give Twitter a leader who deeply understands the needs of advertisers. However, given that Musk is also the chief technology officer, there are some potential speed bumps ahead. The biggest challenge will be finding a balance between freedom of speech and advertisers' expectations.
Musk and Yaccarino have already addressed this issue, with Musk stating that it is “totally cool” for advertisers to choose where their ads appear, but that Twitter will not be influenced by them. He also said that freedom of speech is paramount, even if it means losing advertising dollars. This is a smart approach, and one that Yaccarino will no doubt continue to champion.
The other potential challenge is the relationship between Musk and Yaccarino. Musk is known for his impulsivity and risk-taking, while Yaccarino is far less impulsive and encourages others to take risks, but to prepare before doing so. This could be a source of frustration for Musk, who may not appreciate Yaccarino's more measured approach.
To make this partnership work, Musk and Yaccarino will need to coordinate closely and work out their differences. If Musk relegates Yaccarino to CEO in name only, the long-term prospects are dimmer, but it’s far too early to make that call.
Overall, the choice of Linda Yaccarino as CEO of Twitter is a sound one, and could become a powerful partnership. Yaccarino brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the advertising industry, and her measured approach to risk-taking could be the perfect counterbalance to Musk's impulsivity. However, the success of this partnership will depend on the ability of Musk and Yaccarino to work together and find a balance between freedom of speech and advertisers' expectations.
