Get All Access for $5/mo

Mark Zuckerberg confesses that his employees refer to him as the Eye of Sauron The nickname refers to an evil being able to see everything in JRR's work, The Lord of the Rings.

This article was translated from our Spanish edition.

New Line Cinema

It is the eye that sees everything. Atop the Barad-dûr tower in Middle-earth, it is all that was left of Sauron when Isildur severed the One Ring from the Dark Lord's hand. The metaphor of the evil that watches everything, a huge flaming and menacing eye: the Eye of Sauron .

That's Mark Zuckerberg 's nickname among Meta employees.

In an interview with writer and podcaster Tim Ferriss , Zuckerberg confessed that people who work with him have told him that he has an inexhaustible amount of energy that can even be dangerous: "I think managing energy is an interesting thing... some of the people I work with at the company - I think they say that fondly - sometimes refer to me as the Eye of Sauron. They basically tell me: 'you have an endless amount of energy to go to work on something and if you aim it at a certain team, you will just burn it'" .

Some of the people I work with at the company - I think they say that fondly - sometimes refer to me as the Eye of Sauron.

The creator of Facebook explains to Ferriss that in order to avoid this destructive force, he tries to "diffuse" his energy so as not to focus on a single task, as this can be exhausting for the team .

In the interview, Zuckerberg talks about the reason for this intensity and about the involvement with his work team: "I think the commitment you get from having an immediate feedback loop (around something you are working on or thinking about) is a lot. better than going and scheduling a meeting three weeks later when the topic may still be important, but not as important as what's going on right now. I think achieving that balance is also important to sustain the organization."

Over the years, Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook in February 2004 when he was just 19 years old, has been criticized for his management style and the image he projects. During the interview with Ferriss he also talked about leadership and what he has learned along the way: "Good leadership is trying to get people excited about where you are going. Obviously, you can't ignore the short term; there's a lot to do there... One of the things I've learned over the last 18 years is that feeling misunderstood feels bad. There is a normal human impulse, which is to want to be understood. I think that's why people want to express themselves and why communication is so important: people on some level have this intrinsic desire to be understood, to belong and to feel like they belong with the people around them."

Here you can see the full interview .

Eduardo Scheffler Zawadzki

Entrepreneur Staff

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Branding

ChatGPT is Becoming More Human-Like. Here's How The Tool is Getting Smarter at Replicating Your Voice, Brand and Personality.

AI can be instrumental in building your brand and boosting awareness, but the right approach is critical. A custom GPT delivers tailored collateral based on your ethos, personality and unique positioning factors.

Business News

Apple Reportedly Isn't Paying OpenAI to Use ChatGPT in iPhones

The next big iPhone update brings ChatGPT directly to Apple devices.

Business News

Is the AI Industry Consolidating? Hugging Face CEO Says More AI Entrepreneurs Are Looking to Be Acquired

Clément Delangue, the CEO of Hugging Face, a $4.5 billion startup, says he gets at least 10 acquisition requests a week and it's "increased quite a lot."

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

'The Work Just Fills My Soul': She Turned Her Creative Side Hustle Into a 6-Figure 'Dream' Business

Kayla Valerio, owner of vivid hair salon Haus of Color, transformed her passion into a lucrative venture.

Business News

Sony Pictures Entertainment Purchases Struggling, Cult-Favorite Movie Theater Chain

Alamo Drafthouse originally emerged from bankruptcy in June 2021.