Musk and DOGE are providing a real-time management case study. Unfortunately, all of the lessons are about what not to do. The quickest way to improve your management skills is to look at what DOGE is doing, and do the complete opposite.

It is a fundamental error to believe that DOGE is a government efficiency project. Cutting 1 in 4 federal employees would cut federal government spending by 1%. Cost savings are incidental. DOGE is a political control project. Firing and terrorizing public employees is a means to weakening state regulation of private interests and strengthening a personalist presidency.