Mark Zuckerberg is known around the world for being one of the most successful and richest people in the world. He created Facebook, and (later) Meta, and is now worth a whopping $173 billion.
However, the businessman is making headlines these days for a much different reason. Emails that he wrote to his staff in 2016 were leaked on the internet, and an intense debate over their contents has ensued.
What Did the Mark Zuckerberg Emails Say?
The email, which was leaked during a lawsuit against Zuckerberg’s company, Meta, was dated June 9, 2016, sent from Zuckerberg to several of his employees.
The email discussed popular social media app Snapchat, specifically its encrypted software. Zuckerberg wrote “it seems important to figure out a new way to get reliable analytics about [Snapchat]… You should figure out how to do this.”
There Are Several Apparent Issues With This Email
After reading the email, one of the first things the world noted was that what Zuckerberg asked his employees to do was unethical. While decrypting Snapchats software isn’t, in itself, illegal, what Zuckerberg planned to do with that information was certainly controversial.
Before the emails were released, it had become common knowledge that Zuckerberg made his employees intercept Snapchat user data and decrypt it so he could use that information for his Facebook and Instagram platforms. Zuckerberg called the mission “Project Ghostbusters.”
Project Ghostbusters Has Led to a Lengthy Lawsuit
This entire situation came to light when, in 2020 Sarah Grabert and Maximillian Klein filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook. The lawsuit was filed on the basis that the company had lied about its data collection practices and exploited consumers and other companies through Project Ghostbusters and others like it.
It said, “Facebook’s weaponization of user data and its strategy to ‘acquire, copy, or kill’ competitors has been wildly successful at the expense of consumers. Facebook’s anticompetitive scheme has lessened, if not eliminated, competition and harmed consumers.”
The Case Is Ongoing and the World Is Weighing In
It’s thanks to this ongoing court case that several of Zuckerberg’s personal emails were released to the public. Including the one in question from June 9, 2016.
Since the lawsuit was filed, there has been ongoing debate around the world regarding the Project Ghostbusters and the ethical ramifications of stealing personal data. But now, there’s even a debate about Zuckerberg’s one short email.
Debating the Language the Multibillioinaire Uses in His Emails
In addition to the ethical issues of the email, many readers noticed just how harsh and non-negotiable the command seemed.
Zuckerberg simply said, “You should figure out how to do this” when asking his employees to complete an extremely difficult and possibly illegal task. This language, some argue, would have made his employees feel as though they didn’t have a choice.
Psychologists Analyze Zuckerberg’s Words
Ronald Riggio, a professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College in California, explained that Zuckerberg’s language is “not uncommon” in executives and bosses.
Riggio told Business Insider, “The tone of this email is all about the task. No niceties,” and that there was nothing specifically wrong with the words Zuckerberg chose to express his instruction.
It’s Possible There Was a Positive Working Relationship Prior to the Email
Riggio continued, “If the relationship has been one where you challenge your employees to take initiative and come up with novel solutions or be creative with how they’re doing the task.”
Essentially, Riggo believes that Zuckerberg could already have established a positive working relationship with these employees. Therefore, the instruction didn’t require excessive “niceties.”
Other Psychologists See the Situation Differently
On the other hand, licensed therapist Annie Wright, explained that while the email may appear motivational, that kind of language is almost always detrimental to a healthy work environment.
Wright told Business Insider, “An email like this might generate activity, determination, rapid action to soothe and please the boss,” but that doesn’t mean it’s productive.
Responses Can Vary, Depending on the Employee
Additionally, Wright explained that when bosses use this kind of language when talking to employees, it can lead to several problems in the workplace.
Some people may shut down or freeze, as their nervous system cannot handle such harsh instruction. Others could even need therapy as a result of feeling as though they are in a toxic work environment.
Horrible Bosses Are One of the Top Reasons Employees Quit
Of course, in the worst cases, some people who become increasingly frustrated with their boss’s inability to communicate kindly end up leaving the company for good.
A recent study showed that the number one reason that people leave their jobs is a toxic work environment, and another top reason is that they can’t stand their boss.
Is Mark Zuckerberg a Good Boss?
The bottom line is that a good, communicative, and understanding boss makes all the difference in a workplace. As Riggio explained, “A good boss, a good leader should do both: they should get things done, but they should also nurture the people who are following them.”
Whether or not Zuckerberg is a “good boss” to his employees at Meta is still up for debate. However, the billionaire’s ethical integrity and dedication to his staff and consumers is now undoubtedly in question.
