Twitter has had an interesting few weeks under the leadership of Elon Musk. Among other initiatives, Mr. Musk has cleared out the C-suite, laid off about half of the company’s employees and launched an ill-fated identify verification process that had to be recalled.

That’s a lot to accomplish in just a month or so. Only a truly effective leader, one who knows how to inspire a workforce, could get so much done. Since Elon has yet to codify his leadership philosophies, we’ll have to untangle what we can from the hairball of Twitter’s last few weeks.

Here are some guesses about the leadership concepts that underpin Musk’s initial actions at Twitter.

Don’t Micromanage

Micromanagement is for amateurs. Strong leaders microscopically manage. They review employees’ work like the mother of a third-grader checking his math homework.

Elon leads by having programmers submit examples of their code, so he can make sure it will produce the results he wants. This reminds them that he is smarter than they are and doesn’t really trust them to do their jobs. What could be more inspiring? Maybe he figures his brainpower alone can make up for the fifty percent of employees let go.

Make Work Seem Like Home

Some leaders try to create an engaging work environment in which people feel appreciated for their contributions. The (clearly mistaken) belief is that work satisfaction and workplace support will enhance productivity. Elon rejects this notion, preferring a dystopian environment aimed at increasing productive discomfort.

Moreover, employees can follow Elon’s lead and spend their nights in the workspace. He has reportedly converted rooms in the company’s headquarters into aesthetically jarring bedrooms, decorated with neon orange carpeting, colorless curtains and teleconference monitors. Work-life balance obliterated, work and home seamlessly combined – provided you live in a 1950s nightmare.

But there’s a bright side: employees can give up their apartments, reducing the need to be bothered by the irritating detail of paying rent. The “extremely hardcore” (his term for dedicated workers) can prove themselves to be team players by bringing in snacks to share.

Revamp the Performance Evaluation System

Many companies have allowed their performance management systems to devolve to a B curve, with few ratings in the lower or upper parts of the distribution.

Good leaders like Elon won’t stand for this homogenization of performance ratings. He has redefined the Twitter performance curve by saying, “only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.” In his evaluation system, there are only two ratings: exceptional (passing) and everything else (three months’ severance pay and a hearty “thanks” from Elon as you walk out the front door. Except forget the thanks part.)

Reflect a Clear Worldview

In an effort to try to appeal to a broad market, many leaders keep their politics to themselves. Not Elon. Among his first acts was to fire Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of Legal, Policy and Trust. He accused her of “left wing bias” over her role in policy decision-making at Twitter.

Meantime, Elon has restored the previously banned account of a former president, who had been kicked off the platform for inciting violence on January 6th.

His message: don’t be wishy washy. If you buy a social media platform, turn it into a private bullhorn for you and your allies to pronounce their beliefs. What else is a corporation for?

Display a Sense of Humor

Elon was photographed walking into Twitter HQ carrying a white porcelain sink. “I’ve just bought your company,” he seemed to say. “Let that sink in.”

This is the kind of humor that announces, “It’s going to be a laugh riot working here.”

But Elon, clever leader that he is, may have conveyed multiple meanings with his visual pun. Some possibilities, with emphasis:

“Now that I’m here, you can expect Twitter’s product to sink in quality and influence.”

“I intend to run the company’s resources down the sink. That’s why half of you will soon be gone.”

“You think you’re depressed now? Wait until I make this place into a real sinkhole.”

Like any good executive comedian, Elon will always be looking to upgrade his material. Stay tuned for this gut-buster: “You think the sink was funny? Next time I walk in here carrying a toilet.”

Scrutinize the hairball closely and see whether you can tease out the meaning of that.