Which Tech Leaders do Tech Professionals Admire? Elon Musk Heads the List
In a recent survey of 3,600 tech professionals-including software developers, data scientists, and project managers-job search firm Hired asked respondents to select a "most inspiring" leader in tech.
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla and SpaceX and founder of the Boring Company and Neuralink, came out on top. And while Musk has made missteps, there's no doubt that his big ambitions for tech's future serve to inspire.
Photo: 23andMe Ann Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe Jeff Bezos, the Amazon CEO with a reputation as a harsh boss, took the number two spot; Microsoft's Satya Nadella came in third place; and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg placed fourth. Jack Ma, who just stepped down as chairman of Alibaba, was the only non-U.S. leader to make the top ten.
Four women ranked among the most inspiring leaders in Hired's rankings: Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer (who recently founded AI start-up incubator Lumi Labs), and sisters Susan Wojcicki (CEO of YouTube) and Ann Wojcicki (founder and CEO of 23andMe).
Most Inspiring Tech Leaders| Rank | Tech Leader | Company |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elon Musk | Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink |
| 2 | Jeff Bezos | Amazon |
| 3 | Satya Nadella | Microsoft |
| 4 | Mark Zuckerberg | |
| 5 | Jack Ma | Alibaba |
| 6 | Sheryl Sandberg | |
| 7 | Reed Hastings | Netflix |
| 8 | Susan Wojcicki | YouTube |
| 9 | Marissa Mayer | Lumi Labs; former Yahoo |
| 10 | Anne Wojcicki | 23andMe |
Source: Hired