This is a simple one, there is no one else in the world pushing harder and finding better performance results in pushing the limits of our human abilities. No one else is challenging the status quo as much or has offered more to humanity's longevity.
If the utilitarian, long-term survival of the human species is what one believes in...there is no one better than Elon Musk at this point moving the world forward.
Many people may argue my last point, but he gives hope and shows people that they can achieve what they dream of and that is more important than just about anything a single person is working on. Sure he has an entire team, but he is the leader and without him, these companies simply would not exist and would not be nearly as successful as they are.
It is a classic story of what a real leader looks like. In those respects, I cannot think of a better leader on the entire planet.
One more thing. I don't like the phrasing of being a jerk. Not everyone who is successful is a jerk. What more successful people have is a drive towards product and operations perfection that trumps everything else. The idea of excellence and the pursuit of it causes leaders to fire people, expect only the best results, and really throw any inefficiency in the trash. It sounds ruthless and it might be, but that is where this jerk persona lives.
That's where I think the being a jerk comes from. I don't think it is something you strive for, but you learn that you have to be strong and correct in the things you do. I think the more a person feels the real pain that comes with failure, the more of a jerk they will become. Some people avoid the risk all together, but they never really end up doing anything great.
You have to be risk-averse, yet bold. And you have to watch your back all the time. My first attempt at business at the age of 22 ended up with someone I trusted stabbing me in the back and filing a lawsuit for $25k. I had to file personal bankruptcy to get out of that one. Business will make you tough and assertive or it will kill you.
If the utilitarian, long-term survival of the human species is what one believes in...there is no one better than Elon Musk at this point moving the world forward.
Many people may argue my last point, but he gives hope and shows people that they can achieve what they dream of and that is more important than just about anything a single person is working on. Sure he has an entire team, but he is the leader and without him, these companies simply would not exist and would not be nearly as successful as they are.
It is a classic story of what a real leader looks like. In those respects, I cannot think of a better leader on the entire planet.