Strategic Accountability: How Elon Musk and Tony Hsieh Owned Their Successes and Mistakes
Successful founders don’t just celebrate wins—they take ownership of mistakes, too.
At Evergreen Mountain Equity Partners, we’ve studied the traits that define successful founders in our groundbreaking Entrepreneurial Adaptive Innovator archetype, and Strategic Accountability stands out as one of the most important. This trait is about owning both your successes and failures, being transparent with your team, and taking responsibility when things don’t go as planned.
In this post, we’ll explore how Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, and Tony Hsieh, the late CEO of Zappos, demonstrated Strategic Accountability. We’ll also look at how you can apply this leadership trait to your business.
Elon Musk and Tesla: Owning Production Challenges
Elon Musk has built Tesla and SpaceX into world-leading companies, but the journey hasn’t been without challenges. During the 2018 "production hell" at Tesla, when the company struggled to meet production targets for the Model 3, Musk took full ownership of the problem. Instead of passing blame, Musk publicly acknowledged the issues and worked alongside his team on the factory floor to resolve them. This transparency and accountability helped Tesla navigate the crisis and emerge stronger.
Tony Hsieh and Zappos: Leading with Transparency and Responsibility
Tony Hsieh was known for creating a culture of transparency and innovation at Zappos. When Zappos implemented the controversial Holacracy organizational system, it didn’t go smoothly. Employees faced challenges adapting to the new system. Hsieh took full responsibility, listening to employee feedback and making adjustments while staying committed to Zappos’ core values. His willingness to own both the successes and the difficulties of the initiative preserved trust and strengthened the company’s culture.
How to Apply Strategic Accountability in Your Business
Own both successes and mistakes: Celebrate your wins, but take responsibility when things go wrong.
Be transparent: Share the full picture with your team and stakeholders, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Learn from failures: Turn mistakes into opportunities to grow and improve your processes.
Lead by example: Demonstrate what accountability looks like by stepping up when challenges arise.
Want to learn more about the traits that make founders successful?
Download our free white paper, Understanding the Behavioral DNA of Successful Founders, to explore how Strategic Accountability and other traits can help you build a thriving business.
