Elon Musk’s superpower

OPINION:

Is Elon Musk a visionary or just a guy who loves stirring the pot? He has been catching flak for diving into hot-button issues such as the ballooning national debt and government excess. Most folks dodge such topics like a rogue asteroid. His spat with President Trump highlights a truth he owns: “I think it’s a real weakness to want to be liked. … I do not have that.” This blunt self-awareness is his superpower. Mr. Musk builds, not pleases. Yet a strength overused can risk collaboration, especially with a president whose policies align with his goals.

Critics clutch their pearls over his brash style, but Mr. Musk just shrugs and presses on as he refocuses on his business ventures. The world’s richest trailblazer is simultaneously mythologized, loved and loathed, but his secret sauce? He knows his strengths and weaknesses. It is the rocket fuel for his wild success and a lesson for us mere mortals.

Picture Mr. Musk as a modern-day Leonardo da Vinci with a Twitter account and a penchant for memes. He is up front about his real kryptonite: pathological optimism. “I am pathologically optimistic with time,” he once quipped on X, probably while planning to colonize Mars by the following Tuesday. That sunny outlook powers his galaxy-sized dreams, even if it occasionally derails by being hard on others or leaves deadlines or DOGE dreams in the dust. Here is the kicker: Mr. Musk doesn’t just spot his flaws; he celebrates them. That’s the magic.

Can you blame him? The guy juggles reusable rockets at SpaceX while working on self-driving, brain-rewiring, tunnel-digging, free-speech crusading projects and preaching government efficiency. It’s like he is playing intergalactic chess while we are stuck on checkers. Sure, his optimism might stretch timelines a bit thin, but isn’t that part of what makes him Elon Musk? Shooting for the stars is hard without a little extra hope in your corner. However you feel about him, Mr. Musk’s knack for owning his quirks and gifts is a playbook for us all. It’s a nudge to spot our own superpowers, hug our imperfections and aim for something bigger than a Netflix binge.

Mr. Musk isn’t just audacious; he has a laser-focused purpose. As he puts it, “Embrace change,” or face annihilation. He doesn’t hit snooze wondering what’s for breakfast. He is up every morning plotting how to conquer Mars, prevent the debt bomb from detonating and save humanity.

Mr. Musk’s knack for building rather than pleasing needs a leash sometimes. Yale leadership guru Gautam Mukunda recently cautioned that Tesla’s go-go culture must foster “psychological safety” so employees can flag issues and unleash feedback, especially with the company’s Robotaxis revving. Ambition is great, but nobody wants a wreck on the road to autonomous driving.

How, we should ask, does one man run these many endeavors? Easy: Mr. Musk’s brain is a knowledge sponge. Rockets, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, brain technology, organizational efficiency — he is a walking Wikipedia with a side hustle. His trick? “Learning transfer,” such as using rocket technology to juice Tesla’s batteries. “If you can read a lot of books and talk to people, you can learn almost anything,” he has said. Sure, he oversimplifies, but most of us hit the brakes too soon, leaving our potential in the garage.

Arthur Brooks, who co-wrote “Build the Life You Want” with Oprah Winfrey, calls distraction the “dopamine-sucking vampire” of our time. He advises channeling entrepreneurs like Mr. Musk: “You’re the startup, the founder. Don’t waste your life’s masterpiece.” None of us wants to look back on our work in life and see mostly a series of blank or unfinished canvases. Too many snooze on their strengths, settling for smaller lives and staying limited by the stories they have accepted about who they are. Transformation begins with self-awareness of our flaws and the untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. Mr. Musk’s saga screams: Wake up! Self-awareness — flaws, gifts, all of it — unlocks your inner superhero. We may not build starships or conquer Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, but we have unique powers to make an impact.

While critics fixate on Mr. Musk’s no-holds-barred personal demeanor or delayed timelines, they overlook his quiet revolutions: SpaceX slashing launch costs to unlock the cosmos, Tesla’s EVs reducing emissions and Neuralink advancing brain disorder treatments. Mr. Musk’s X crusade for open debate and government reform sparks bold conversations others avoid, potentially paving the way for reconciliation with the man behind the Resolute Desk.

Love him or meme him, Mr. Musk’s fearless swings, fueled by a self-aware grin, reshape our world in ways the static can’t mute. He knows his audacity’s a bit crazy, yet he’s all in — every time. That bold spirit is a spark for us all, showing us that even our small steps can nudge the future forward.

• Les T. Csorba served as special assistant to President George H.W. Bush. He is the author of the forthcoming book “AWARE: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly — Diary of a Corporate Headhunter.”