Roland Busch, who leads the $251 billion German engineering giant Siemens, has built a reputation for extreme brevity in his communication style. Rather than crafting lengthy replies, the CEO often responds to detailed messages with nothing more than a one- or two-word answer.
Keeping the Inbox Under Control
Busch reportedly receives around 200 emails daily, yet he works to keep his unread count under 100. He has said that letting messages pile up beyond that threshold makes it difficult to track what actually needs attention. His solution is to reply fast and keep responses minimal, a habit he says has spread to the rest of his team, who have adapted to the same clipped style. For messages that require more explanation, Busch reportedly prefers to dictate his thoughts while walking around the office rather than typing out long replies at his desk.
A Career Built on Physics, Not Business School
Busch joined Siemens in 1994 and spent more than 30 years moving through the company’s ranks before becoming CEO in 2021. Notably, he doesn’t hold a business degree — his academic background is in physics, and he started his career researching renewable energy technologies like solar and offshore wind. He has credited that scientific training with shaping how he approaches leadership, particularly when it comes to breaking down complicated problems into their most essential parts.
Busch also skips scheduled one-on-one meetings with his direct reports, instead maintaining an open-door approach where employees reach out only when necessary. He’s not alone in this practice — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has described a similar system for managing his large group of direct reports, favoring group problem-solving sessions over individual check-ins.