*By Carlo Versano*
What would happen if a female CEO behaved as Tesla's Elon Musk has been acting lately?
She probably wouldn't get fawning praise for being authentic, said Amy Nelson, CEO of The Riveter, a female-led community of co-working spaces. And she probably wouldn't be commended for showing "such vulnerability" by the [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/19/insider/elon-musk-interview.html).
"I don't think a woman would have ever gotten emotional in an interview about her business," Nelson said. "Women are conditioned to walk a tightrope at work ー strong but not too strong, kind but not too kind. Letting their guard down, to a reporter no less, would be considered career suicide by many."
Nelson wrote a widely shared [essay](https://www.forbes.com/sites/amynelson1/2018/08/21/a-female-founders-take-on-the-tears-of-elon-musk/#56fb9073a4e6) for Forbes about the double standard for male and female executives.
Musk deserves praise for being authentic, she said, though he could have used the opportunity as a "teachable moment," to show "that everyone can be human in the workplace."
Instead, Musk [responded](https://twitter.com/TijenOnaran/status/1034338788066164739) to Nelson's essay on Twitter by denying that he cried ー his voice merely cracked once, he said ー furthering the stereotype that men who cry seem weak and vulnerable.
The opposite perception is actually much preferred. After all, how often have we heard stories of executives screaming at reporters or underlings?
"They never deny that," Nelson said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/stereotypes-and-double-standards-in-the-c-suite).
Bambu Ventures's Kyle Pretsch dives into Lemonaid’s $10M buyout, down from 23andMe’s $400M price tag, and what’s next after Chrome Co.’s dramatic pivot.
Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania. And now he is seeing potential signs of the cycle repeating with another transformative technology in artificial intelligence. Chambers is trying take some of the lessons he learned while riding a wave that turned Cisco into the world's most valuable company in 2000 before a crash hammered its stock price and apply them as an investor in AI startups. He recently discussed AI's promise and perils during an interview with The Associated Press.
Grove Collaborative’s CEO shares how the company is reinventing everyday goods with sustainability at the core and working toward a plastic-free future.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens shares plans for affordable housing, community-led growth, and why private and public grocery stores could be key to food equity.
Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30. The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk’s foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company’s cars and even protested at some dealerships. Sales rose to 497,099 vehicles, compared with 462,890 in the same period last year.
Tom’s Guide Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer breaks down Apple & Amazon's latest product drops—what's hot, what's hype, and what really matters for users.
