# Musk says leaders should work on the front lines, not from offices

> Original title: Armies that win have the general at the front lines. Nobody wants to bleed for the prince in the palace.

- Source: Elon Musk
- Published: 2026-11-06T19:34:13.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/jnu16rapvqvfb4bf646es64zi
- Original: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2118789067571954105

## Summary

Elon Musk says winning armies keep the general at the front lines, and that leaders should not hide in the palace. The post links this to SpaceX's compute lead, and background quoting Musk describes him living in an Airstream beside a power plant that produced over a gigawatt in about a year.

## Post

Armies that win have the general at the front lines. Nobody wants to bleed for the prince in the palace.

## Quoted post @KanekoaTheGreat

> Ron Baron asked Elon Musk how many CEOs live on site in an Airstream and work hands-on with everyone.
> 
> MUSK: “Airstreams are actually pretty nice... It’s parked right next to the power plant.”
> 
> “We built this power plant that’s producing over a gigawatt... in about a year, as opposed to normally about five years.”
> 
> “There is no upstairs.”
> 
> He walks the entire site up to five times a day. He’s pulled power cables “the size of an anaconda,” run fiber, wired switches, and worked on the power plant software.
> 
> “I try to do at least a little bit of everything, so that I’m not numb to the pain of the people who are actually doing it.”
> 
> “It’s not as though I’m sitting in an office and somebody has to come to me. I’m walking the floor, asking them questions actively.”
> 
> There’s a reason SpaceX is winning the compute race.

https://x.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2118778153711935662