Walter Isaacson

When I went to CNN, I was not very good at being a manager or an executive of an organization.

I cared a little bit too much that people didn't get annoyed at me or mad at me.

And Elon said that about John McNeil, for example, who was president of Tesla.

It's in the book.

I talked to John McNeil a long time and he says, you know, Elon just would fire people, be really rough on people.

He didn't have the empathy for the people in front of him.

And Elon says, yeah, that's right.

And John McNeil couldn't fire people.

He cared more about pleasing the people in front of him than pleasing the entire enterprise or getting things done.

Being over-endowed with a desire to please people can make you less tough of a manager.

And that doesn't mean there aren't great people who are over-endowed.

Ben Franklin?

over-endowed with the desire to please people.

The worst criticism of him from John Adams and others was that he was insinuating, which kind of meant he was always trying to get people to like him.

But that turned out to be a good thing.

When they can't figure out the big state, little state issue at the Constitutional Convention, when they can't figure out the Treaty of Paris, whatever it is, he brings people together, and that is his superpower.

So to get back to the lessons you asked, and the first was harness your demons, the second is to know your strengths and your superpowers.

My superpower is definitely not being a tough manager.

After running CNN for a while, I said, okay, I think I've proven I don't really enjoy this or know how to do this well.

You know, do I have other talents?