Recently, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, and Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, the Meta CTO, shared insights into their working relationship with Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta. According to Mosseri, Zuckerberg is a highly results-focused leader who consistently sets high standards for his team and expects them to meet those expectations. While Zuckerberg may initially disagree with feedback or ideas, he tends to engage in further discussions and ask for opinions to “pressure test” them.
Mosseri emphasized the importance of finding a balance when working with a manager for an extended period. He mentioned that with time, one can anticipate feedback and expectations from their manager while still holding onto their own beliefs and approaches. Mosseri admitted that he and Zuckerberg have had many arguments, particularly in the early years. However, they built trust through constructive disagreements and discussions over time.
Bosworth also discussed Zuckerberg’s management style. He described Zuckerberg’s intense focus on important projects as being similar to the “Eye of Sauron” from “The Lord of the Rings.” Bosworth explained that while Zuckerberg often tells employees they are wrong initially, he eventually makes changes based on careful consideration. Ultimately, Bosworth highlighted Zuckerberg’s ability to make shifts in decisions based on feedback and discussions over time.
Overall, it seems that while working closely with a manager like Mark Zuckerberg can be challenging at times due to his high standards and intensity focus on achieving results; it is possible to build trust through constructive disagreements and discussions over time.