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CEOs

An illustration of reporter Courtney Vinopal's headshot.

Courtney Vinopal

hr-brew.com

As Tesla shareholders prepare to vote on whether to grant CEO Elon Musk a pay package valued at nearly $1 trillion, the billionaire argued that this proposal isn’t actually about the money at all—but rather about maintaining control over the electric vehicle maker.

In an Oct. 22 earnings call, Musk and Tesla’s CFO, Vaibhav Taneja, said they didn’t want to refer to the proposed pay package as “compensation” at all. Instead, Musk said he was concerned with “how much voting control I have in Tesla,” particularly given the company’s goal of building an “enormous robot army.”

The package Musk referenced would award him additional shares if he meets certain Tesla benchmarks over the span of a decade, including delivering 1 million robots, and having 1 million robotaxis in commercial operation. Should he meet the milestones Tesla’s board has set, Musk could gain a 25% stake in the company, and in turn increase his voting power.

While the official vote is on Nov. 5, at least one major Tesla investor—Norway’s sovereign wealth fund—has said it will vote against the proposal.

In recent years, Musk has sought to pivot Tesla away from selling electric vehicles in favor of self-driving cars and a humanoid robot the company calls Optimus. On the call, the CEO claimed he wouldn’t spend the money if he received the proposed award, but said he wanted “a strong influence over that robot army” if he built it. “That’s what it comes down to in a nutshell. Like I don’t feel comfortable building that robot army if I don’t have at least a strong influence,” he added.

(It should be noted that Musk has had a strong influence in both the public and private sector, with mixed results. After he bought the social media app Twitter, changed its name to X, and discarded the site’s content moderation rules, the platform’s value dropped by an estimated 80%).

Tesla board urges shareholders to approve Musk’s unusual pay package. 

If granted, this compensation plan would be the 

 in history—but its sheer size isn’t the only thing that makes it unusual.

The committee that put together this proposal also bucked traditional executive compensation norms when designing it, HR Brew 

. They decided against proposing Musk’s pay based on what CEOs earn at similar peer group companies, arguing such benchmarking would be “irrelevant” given the types of goals that Tesla’s CEO has been given.

This isn’t the first time Tesla’s board has tried to award Musk an unusually large compensation package. When shareholders decide whether or not to grant Musk this super-sized payday on Nov. 5, they’ll also be asked to vote on partially restoring Musk’s previous pay package, valued at 

While shareholders initially approved that previous pay package, Judge Kathaleen McCormick 

 on grounds that investors weren’t given adequate information about the proposal, and certain Tesla board members involved in the negotiations weren’t independent. Tesla is currently appealing that decision.

The debate over Musk’s pay comes at a time when the gap between what CEOs earn compared to rank-and-file workers continues to invite scrutiny; Starbucks and United Healthcare are among the companies that have recently been criticized for awarding their CEOs pay packages that are much larger than what their median workers earn.

But beyond setting a new standard for CEO pay, the Nov. 5 shareholder vote could also have broader implications for corporate governance practices, a professor and student from Case Western Reserve School of Law recently argued in a 

 published in Bloomberg Law. The Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in the case involving Musk’s previous 2018 package, they added, “will further determine whether Tesla’s governance approach becomes a framework for other founder-led companies or a cautionary tale about the limits of executive control and the importance of board independence.”

Facing off-camera, Elon Musk smiles widely in a suit.

Elon Musk argues $1T Tesla package is about control, not cash

The Tesla CEO recently suggested the proposal is more about maintaining influence than earning additional compensation. 

Elon Musk and Tesla’s board once again make the case for largest corporate payday in history

Kristen Parisi

After 11 years, Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down from his role in Feb. 2026, the company announced this week.

Cornell has faced several challenges in recent months, not least of which stemmed in part from his decision to walk back Target’s DEI programming, HR Brew previously 

After at least 14 years of DEI commitments, Target did an about-face in January, ending its DEI goals, backing away from its employee resource groups (ERGs), and announcing it would no longer participate in external benchmarking. Target’s walkback was so stark that it erased from its website DEI-related pages, press releases, and impact reports.

Since then, more than 250,000 people have signed a pledge boycotting the retailer, which has seen a dramatic decrease in foot traffic, according to 

“When companies treat DEI as expendable, they’re not just rolling back commitments—they’re eroding trust with employees, customers, and investors,” Katica Roy, CEO of Pipeline equity, an HR analytics company, said on LinkedIn. “The lesson for other CEOs: Equity isn’t a ‘nice to have.’ It’s a core business strategy, and abandoning it carries real economic consequences.”

But correlation is not necessarily causation. Target’s glimmer was already tarnishing when it announced its DEI walkback. The company has struggled with declining or stagnant sales numbers for over 

, as consumers have pulled back on discretionary spending through inflation and economic uncertainty.

Cornell is being replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke, who joined the company in 2003 as a finance intern and moved up, working across store operations, merchandising, and employee pay and benefits.

A bend in front of a read wall with the Target logo

Target CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down

The company has faced lagging sales since 2022 and customer boycotts after abandoning DEI earlier this year.

Mikaela Cohen

The very thing that helps some leaders earn a seat in the C-suite could eventually hold them back, according to Muriel M. Wilkins, CEO of executive coaching firm Paravis Partners and author of 

Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential

“I’ve been working as an executive coach for over 20 years…and while they are wildly successful in terms of what they are able to do with their organizations,” Wilkins said, “I have often found that they run into roadblocks, not necessarily realizing that the roadblocks include themselves.”

HR Brew chatted with Wilkins about what possibly prevents some executives from being effective.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What will people leaders learn from your book?

A lot of times when leaders have to develop themselves, they often look at things outside of themselves…But very often, they don’t look at the internal game, which is their mindset. And, when you think about a leader being able to scale, be able to operate differently than they have in the past…Change in skills is one thing, but changing mindset is actually what leads to sustainability in terms of their effectiveness.

From an HR perspective, the ability to understand what the mindset is that’s required to be able to lead more optimally is paramount. And, from this book, they would be able to identify the areas where mindset might be able to get in the way, as well as a roadmap for how those leaders could actually expand our mindset.

What tips do you have for leaders who need to change their mindset?

They have these beliefs that they have formed that, frankly, has led to high performance, but that might not necessarily be working in the position, or role, or context that they’re in…[You need to] have an understanding of what the beliefs are that you hold, and question whether they are the ones that most serve you in the capacity that you’re in. Because if they don’t, then it is critical that you shift to a different mindset, or thought, or belief that actually supports the outcomes that you’re looking to drive to rather than working against you.

Have the mindsets or priorities of CHROs and CPOs shifted since you started working with them 20 years ago?

One of the big shifts that CHROs and CPOs have had to make, and quite frankly, that they wanted to make, is really from being seen as tactical leaders, who are there to sort of execute on HR policy and HR administration, to really being a strategic leader within the organization…[They’re also] able to be in a place where they are a valued, trusted, and a strategic advisor to the rest of the C-suite, and that is a complex role to play.

Because you’re sitting at the C-suite level, while at the same time being an advisor and thought partner around not only people issues, but really people issues as it relates to the business being successful. So, that’s a big shift that I’ve seen over the past two decades, and being able to not only build the skill to do that, but again, see yourself in that role. And, going back to the mindset piece, having the mindset that enables you to operate at that level is a critical shift that folks who are in that career and advising in that career need to make.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for CHROs navigating this precarious time?

It’s a time of a lot of change and a lot of complexity, but we’ve been here before. So, getting them to understand that they have to operate from a place of confidence, that they may not have seen this particular environment before, but they are actually experts in being able to deal with change and being able to navigate change, not only at an individual level, but also how do you move an organization or a team through change. They’re the crux of being able to do that. They bring that value to an organization.

Two hands holding on opened book with text highlighted

An interview with Muriel M. Wilkins, author of ‘Leadership Unblocked’

“While they are wildly successful in terms of what they are able to do with their organizations, I have often found that they run into roadblocks, not necessarily realizing that the roadblocks include themselves.”

The roadblock plaguing some C-suite leaders: their own mindset

An organization’s success can likely be measured by whether or not the CHRO is a strategic business partner to the CEO.

That’s according to Jenny Dearborn, chief people strategy officer at the Stockholm-based global consulting firm BTS and co-author of 

The Insight-Driven Leader: How High-Performing Companies are Using Analytics to Unlock Business Value

In her new book, which she wrote with talent development leader Kelly Rider, Dearborn highlights how companies can use talent analytics to navigate the future of work and why the partnership between a CHRO and CEO is crucial to business success.

Dearborn shared takeaways from the book with HR Brew.

What’s the story behind writing this book?

This book is very much a journey from the other books that I’ve written. So, in 2015, I wrote a book called 

, which is about how to apply data, and analytics, and algorithms, looking at the different performance variables in a workplace to predict performance and productivity for sales reps…Then, in 2018, took the same approach and went broader in an organization and said, “Can you apply these same algorithms and models for leadership?”

Also I wanted to answer very specific questions…“Given the volatility in the world and all of the forces that are impacting the future of work, and the future of jobs, and AI…What really makes the best HR leaders different than the rest? And what really are the differentiators between how great HR executives lead?” And, it’s my belief that, given all the volatility, that HR is the most important organization in the company.

What are some of the answers to those questions?

The CEO sets the tone for the executive staff. The CEO basically decides in their operating model for a company, “Is HR going to be a strategic business partner, or is the role that I want HR to play [more] administrative?”

If that CEO says, whether deliberately or unconsciously, “I want to have a strategic HR business partner who is business first and HR second”...then HR has a seat at the table. HR is in every conversation. HR is consulted before major decisions get made…It’s really the point of view of that CEO.

We asked CHROs, “What could a CEO do differently to make you more successful in your role?” It was very clear in the feedback, that what’s holding the CHRO back, if they’re feeling held back, is the CEO. And the same thing to the CEOs, “What do you wish that you could have different from your CHRO?” And they said, “I’d love it if they’d be more strategic, and more impactful, and more of a business leader.”

How can a CHRO have more influence and impact if the CEO doesn’t already set that tone?

The challenge happens when one person has one set of expectations and a different person has a different set of expectations. It’s the misalignment, where the problems happen, and that’s where you get a CHRO saying, “Why don’t I have a seat at the table?” We’ve been hearing people say for 30 years of my whole career…and that really comes when one person wants something different, or has a different set of expectations or understanding what the role is.

The best thing to do upfront is to just have those conversations around clarity of what is the role? Where do you expect me to play? And, if the CEO says, “I want it all. I want you to be a strategic business partner and make sure that no balls are dropped”...then that CEO needs to recognize that they need to support the size of team, or the technology in place, or often it’s both, to manage all those details.

An interview with Jenny Dearborn, co-author of ‘The Insight-Driven Leader’

“If that CEO says, whether deliberately or unconsciously, ‘I want to have a strategic HR business partner who is business first and HR second’...then HR has a seat at the table.”

CEO and CHRO partnerships are key to success in the future of work

Adam DeRose

Delta Airlines Global CEO Ed Bastian was named the Ethical Leader of the Year by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund in Las Vegas this week at the Society for Human Resource Management’s Annual Conference and Expo.

Bastian was recognized for his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite a kneecapped travel industry.

“It was very clear the second we started reviewing his candidacy, that what he was not willing to do was hurt the people of Delta Airlines,” said Brian Peckrill, the McGowan fund’s interim director. “I believe that’s ethical leadership. It’s the values that resonated with him that helped him make that commitment to those people.”

Bastian said ethical leadership is “in your DNA,” and despite employing nearly 100,000 people, the company treats its employees as family.

“I firmly believe that the most important asset of a company is its people, and...for years, airlines have gotten in trouble and they forget that. They think it’s their planes or their geographies or airports. The industry has a lot of sexy objects,” Bastian told HR Brew.

“But it’s the people...They’re bringing it all to life and that actually creates the opportunity to take care of those customers, and so focusing on ensuring that people feel like they are the biggest asset not the biggest cost of a business...I obsess on our people so that they’re in position to be obsessed with our customers.”

Bastian highlighted Delta’s Velvet program, bringing hundreds of front-line employees together to discuss the airline and its business. He also pointed to Delta’s profit-sharing model, which rewards front-line employees first before managers, and the company’s commitment to wellness as demonstrative of its employees-first business strategy.

“It’s not that we’re smarter, better-looking, or have better geography, or have better planes,” Bastian told HR Brew. “We have the very best people who felt they’re the best taken care of, and it’s their trust that they place in the leadership and the support they have with leadership that enables them to go out there and do a great job with customers and that attracts more customers to our company.”

Bastian told HR Brew he only has “one email” address, and receives thousands of emails a day from entry-level employees to senior leaders, and combs through them to make sure his people get what they need.

“Businesses that are ethical can succeed financially. Businesses that are not ethical, cannot sustainably last,” Peckrill said. “When making decisions, having a long-term orientation around growth is crucial, and businesses that integrate ethics are well primed for sustainable short and long-term success."

image of delta airline boeing plane taking off

Delta global CEO named Ethical Leader of the Year

“It comes out in many, many different ways, but inherently it’s in your DNA.”

Sam Blum

Most CEOs don’t expect a rant delivered over video chat to go viral. But they probably should. Recent events indicate that, if recorded, video can boomerang around the web and land back on a leader’s doorstep. Sometimes, the public outcry will necessitate an apology.

Recently, Andi Owen, CEO of furniture maker MillerKnoll, sparked widespread criticism when she implored employees not to wallow in “pity city” after they learned that none of them would receive a bonus this year. “Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need, and not thinking about what you’re going to do if you don’t get a bonus,” Owen said 

. “I had an old boss who said to me one time, ‘You can visit pity city, but you can’t live there.’ So, people: Leave pity city.”

After a social media pile-on ensued, Owen apologized to her employees in an email, writing, “I feel terrible that my rallying cry seemed insensitive…What I’d hoped would energize the team to meet a challenge we’ve met many times before landed in a way that I did not intend and for that I am sorry,” CNN 

Andi Owen's remarks to employees captured on video. 

Apologies from top brass need to make clear overtures to a direct audience, such as shareholders, employees, or the public, Fred Foulkes, professor of management and organizations at Boston University’s business school, told HR Brew. But for a mea culpa to resonate with any group, words need to extend beyond rhetoric and convey a sense of growth from the experience, Foulkes said. If “they admit to their troops that, ‘Hey, I’m vulnerable. I make mistakes, too. I try to learn from them,’ that says a lot,” he told HR Brew.

Consider James Clarke, CEO of marketing and tech firm Clearlink, who seemingly praised an employee for 

 in order to RTO, or Better.com CEO Vishal Garg, who summoned 900 

 to a Zoom call only to swiftly terminate the entire group. (Garg later 

 posited, there is a trend of executives facing increasing scrutiny for insensitive rhetoric that disrespects their employees captured on video.

To address and hopefully mitigate whatever tension might be lingering after a gaffe, leadership needs to go beyond mere words, Foulkes said. “Whatever happened, we want to minimize the probability of this happening again. So, you’ve got to say, ‘These are the credible steps we’ve taken.’” Announcing an investigation into a pay equity, for example, can show the public and employees a sense of urgency. “Otherwise, [it shows] the company isn’t really doing anything, it’ll probably happen again,” he said.

Importantly, a sorry needs to convey a sense of understanding of what an audience needs to hear. It’s a question of considering “the customers, the community, investors, [and] employees—how you tailor these things for the different communities,” Foulkes noted. Ultimately, tailoring an apology “to what the audience wants to know [and] needs to know,” is a good place to start the healing process.

Andi Owen apology: What's the best way for a CEO to say sorry? 

Some CEOs have gone viral for the way they address employees on video chats. Meaningful apologies go beyond mere words, this business professor says. 

Sorry city. What is the best way for a CEO to apologize? 

Amid a period of turbulence for tech giants, some of the industry’s foremost CEOs—like Apple’s Tim Cook and Zoom’s 

—have seen their compensation slashed to ward off mass layoffs.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is the latest executive to see compensation cut. Last year, Jassy earned just under $1.3 million, with a base salary of $317,500 and $981,223 in other compensation, according to an annual proxy 

 filed in March. In 2021, the year of his appointment as CEO, Jassy was paid $212.7 million, Insider 

, after laying off almost 18,000 employees at the end of 2022.

” has become shorthand for staff reductions across tech, a similar logic may apply to executive pay cuts as a means to avoid or mitigate layoffs, Tony Guadagni, senior principal at Gartner, 

 When Apple announced that Cook had recommended his compensation be reduced by 40% this January, Guadagni told HR Brew that a trend was likely afoot. “We see someone like Apple setting the tone…I think it’s likely that we’ll see more of it,” he said.

To be sure, several CEOs in tech and finance had already cut their pay in 2022. Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, Intel’s Pat Gelsinger, Morgan Stanley’s James Gorman, and Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan, as well as Zoom’s Yuan, all made the move, the Wall Street Journal reported in 

Is the move as altruistic as it might appear? As Guadagni said, “It really sets the tone for how people think about the organization, and how they may receive or perceive hard decisions that those organizational leaders might have to make later.”

But the brunt of CEO compensation is often awarded through stock or stock options. In 2022, for example, Cook made $82.3 million through a restricted stock grant, on top of a $3 million salary, the 

 reported. Jassy was awarded no stock options in 2022, which is why his compensation package reduced significantly, according to 

CEOs taking pay cuts on the heels of economic headwinds comes after decades of growth in CEO compensation. In 2021, for example, the average CEO made 399 times more than the average US worker, an 