As an organisational development practitioner, I have been watching the Twitter disaster unfold. As André Spicer’s article says, the kind of workplace behaviour exhibited by Elon Musk is not unusual among people in positions of power (The Elon Musk effect: have we reached our limit with awful bosses?, theguardian.com, 18 November).
Good leaders don’t have to email employees to tell them that they are expected to work hard. Great employees will work hard and be loyal when a healthy environment exists, where they are self-motivated and feel safe.
The worst thing you can do is silence employees; that steals their creativity, morale and happiness. I applaud those who stood up to Musk and said they were not going to take this. It took courage. All those who stay at Twitter must take care of themselves, as even if Musk is not yelling at them, they will still carry the stress of seeing the abuse.
Barbara Otis
Author, 101 Ways to Lose a Great Employee
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.
