What I would do with Twitter if I were Elon Musk

After acquiring the social media platform, Musk has caused a massive stir among employees at Twitter, civil rights activists, key advertisers, and the public. His actions have been called controversial and impulsive, with news breaking daily about his rapid-fire decision-making and seemingly avoidable blunders.

In the latest news, hundreds of employees resigned last week after Musk sent a mass email asking them to either get on board with Twitter 2.0, a more “hardcore” work culture consisting of “long hours at high intensity,” or resign. The resignations started pouring, and Musk closed Twitter’s offices temporarily.

“Elon Musk has been running two substantial and complex companies already. He’s taken on the challenge of another, quite different business, and, in a few weeks, has done significant damage in terms of the perception of the social media platform, as well as bringing vitriol in the way he has handled his acquisition and his new management, particularly through the sacking of a large number of staff,” says Angus Blair, CEO of Signet and an investment banking advisor. 

In light of all this, I want to explore how to salvage Twitter from a CEO’s perspective. If I were Musk, I would focus on keeping the company afloat and quickly implement strategies to maintain meaningful relationships with significant stakeholders. I need to give employees a reason to trust my new leadership, particularly if I want the roll-out of Twitter 2.0 to succeed. 

At the level of my conduct as CEO, I would frequently use Twitter to share updates, reply to comments, and engage with the public. Rarely do we see a CEO as concerned with restructuring and defending their company’s operations as Musk is now. He even changed his bio to “Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator” to (seriously) poke fun at the amount of damage control he was doing. Again, it’s rare that we witness a CEO taking and responding to complaints in such a public and rapid-fire way.

His increased activity has stimulated greater public engagement overall. Since Musk took over, Twitter usage, according to the Financial Times, has reached an “all-time high,” with the number of monetizable active daily users (mDAUs) “accelerating to 20 percent, from 15 percent in the second quarter.”

Whether users are intrigued, amused, or outraged, there’s no doubt that Musk’s humorous rhetoric and unusual activities have increased activity on the platform in a short period. In short – humour sells, and with revenue at the forefront of any leadership change, it could benefit the company.

I would continue this tactic but modify the method. Instead of hasty replies and impulse tweeting, I would have several team members assist me in ensuring that my activity is unoffensive, productive, and measured. I would maintain a tasteful level of humour but refrain from starting arguments that could further aggravate the situation. 

Beyond my position, I would quickly start to salvage what is left of my workforce, bringing together the remaining team members to begin rebuilding trust and preparing for Twitter 2.0. Musk’s decision to give an ultimatum without earning the respect or loyalty of his employees made it easier for them to leave. As Musk, I would bring together team leaders, managers, and any remaining employees to create a more solid foundation for the company to move forward. 

I would also begin the process of re-hiring for open positions, providing good incentives for new employees to join the team, and ensuring that the remaining employees are protected and secure in their roles. A company the size of Twitter can’t survive with a mere 2,000 or so people, no matter how ‘hardcore’ the working hours are.

Musk should take steps soon to ensure the even distribution of resources, the creation of manageable schedules for employees, and the implementation of hiring processes. Musk has already started to give way to the pressure of his new role, with the billionaire claiming to be overworked, so these precautions are more necessary than ever. On that note, if I were Musk, I would definitely make sure to take naps, exercise regularly, and find an excellent therapist! 

Outside the company, I would look toward the community and company stakeholders to protect critical relationships as much as possible. By this point, Twitter’s reputation is in shambles. Musk’s relationship with advertisers could have been more productive from the beginning, and now it may be too late to save some of those critical relationships.

In the early days of his leadership, hundreds of activists, concerned about rising levels of hate speech and intolerance on the platform, tweeted a letter encouraging advertisers to pull out of Twitter.

Musk immediately responded by proposing a “thermonuclear name & shame” campaign targeting the brands no longer advertising on the platform. According to an article in the New York Times, Musk took steps to engage with civil rights groups and advertisers and established a panel of experts to consult in the aftermath. However, Musk will need to do more to keep advertisers from continuing to pull out of the platform. 

As Musk, I would start to take emergency steps to double down on meetings with advertisers, civil rights groups, and other key members of the community. Musk cannot keep Twitter afloat without support from external parties, and the sooner those relationships are tended to, the better.

I would also put together a body of experts tasked with monitoring advertising, checking content guidelines, and maintaining community standards. Part of Musk’s failing strategy is his insistence on handling many things himself at once. This panel or council of industry leaders would support my role as CEO and put the public’s mind at ease. A ship steered by one man is far more alarming than one manned by a team of accomplished people. 

To keep public support for Twitter high, I would also engage celebrities and key political figures. Musk has had several Twitter exchanges with members of the United States government and celebrities, most notably sparring with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and actor Mark Ruffalo.

They both had opinions about Musk’s $8 per month Twitter Blue subscription, allowing users to purchase a blue verification tick for their profile. As CEO of Twitter, I would continue to encourage discussions with influential names but do so in a positive, productive way. These exchanges can draw more traffic to the platform and spark necessary debates about the future of social media usage and content if handled correctly. Otherwise, they could be the wave that takes the whole ship.

Another focus for my hypothetical Twitter takeover would be the regulation of bots; this is a topic Musk has been very vocal about in the past. Musk has been tough on content accuracy on Twitter and the protection of public opinion.

At the beginning of the acquisition process, he declared: “Twitter needs to become the most accurate source of information about the world. That’s our mission.” He has criticised the use of bots and the potentially negative consequences of using automated systems for functions on Twitter. His “war on bots” shows a willingness to clean up Twitter from technologies that could impact significant events and the dissemination of news or critical information. Unfortunately, recent events tested those commitments. 

Most recently, Musk polled 15 million users under the guise of promoting the “vox populi” or “voice of the people” to determine whether Twitter should reinstate Donald Trump’s account. Suspended in 2021 after the January 6 Capitol riots, Trump’s account went live again on November 20, after 51.8 percent voted to bring it back.

On the surface, this kind of ‘democratic’ tactic is healthy for a company to implement. However, in the current context, with Twitter hanging on by a thread, implementing these tactics into the existing infrastructure of the platform is questionable. Musk himself claimed that some of the votes could be affected by automated bots and suggested that curbing “bot and troll armies” would provide “interesting lessons to clean up future polls.” 

The situation surrounding the reinstation of Trump’s account brings up two key points. First, as CEO, after stabilising the situation at Twitter, I would continue to prioritise public opinion through these polls but be sure to conduct them fairly and apply them equally to all users. These information-gathering or voting opportunities are vital to engage users and gain insight into the community’s position on ideas, products, and events.

Second, this event shows a chance to double down on bots to protect users from malicious automated systems. Both of these tactics would protect users and promote better content accuracy. 

As the CEO of Twitter, I would work hard to ensure that my position at the company and as a public figure is more regulated, in-touch with the community, and provides long-term success for Twitter. A strategy built on balance and forward-thinking will go a long way compared to one based on snap decisions and impulses.

I recommend re-hiring employees that were let go and providing continued education, training, and empowerment courses where needed. I would also ask for help and avoid unilateral decisions that could come back to haunt my career later. Twitter is in bad shape. There’s no denying that.

Musk’s actions and the outcome for the social media giant are yet to become apparent. One thing is for sure, however: if Musk is going to turn the ship around, he will need all hands-on deck.