Postmodern culture in action: an analysis of Elon Musk’s management and leadership style

Purpose This study examines Elon Musk’s leadership and management style through the lens of postmodern culture. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a mixed-methods approach to analyze the alignment between postmodern cultural features and Elon Musk’s social media posts (tweets) on X for the period from May 2024 to May 2025. Findings The study finds a high degree of alignment between Musk’s posts on X and fourteen defining features of postmodern culture, particularly skepticism toward metanarratives, epistemic relativism, irony and pastiche. The findings propose that Musk’s leadership/management style exemplifies cultural transformations within post-industrial societies, where perception often supersedes substance and legitimacy is shaped more by narrative and symbolic impact than by formal authority. The paper calls for interpretive methodologies and encourages future research across diverse figures and organizations. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in the application of a postmodern cultural framework. The study not only sheds light on Musk’s distinctive approach to management and leadership but also enhances our understanding of management and leadership in an era increasingly shaped by postmodern conditions.