Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Advocates For "Masculine Energy" In Corporate Culture

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants more "masculine energy" in corporate culture, saying that an environment that "celebrates aggression" can have positive effects.

"The masculine energy I think is good," the 40-year-old said during a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. "And obviously society has plenty of that, but I think corporate culture is really trying to get away from it." He added that having a culture that celebrates aggression "a bit more, has its own merits that are really positive."

Mr Zuckerberg, appearing with curly hair, a black T-shirt, and a gold pendant, reflected on his own evolution. He credited martial arts as a formative experience, describing it as "a much more masculine culture."

Mr Zuckerberg recently announced major changes to Meta's policies, ending initiatives aimed at boosting diversity in hiring. An internal memo, shared by Axios, explained the decision, partly blaming a "charged" view of DEI.

The memo read: "At Meta, we have a principle of serving everyone. This can be achieved through cognitively diverse teams, with differences in knowledge, skills, political views, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences."

"Such teams are better at innovating, solving complex problems and identifying new opportunities which ultimately helps us deliver on our ambition to build products that serve everyone," the memo added.

"On top of that, we've always believed that no one should be given - or deprived- of opportunities because of protected characteristics, and that has not changed," it read.

The company said it would no longer use the Diverse Slate Approach for hiring but still look for candidates from all backgrounds. Goals for hiring women and minorities have been dropped to avoid the idea that decisions are based on race or gender. The company is also ending its programme to prioritise diverse-owned businesses and will now focus on supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

Training programmes will focus on fair and unbiased practices for everyone. The DEI team has been disbanded, and its head, Maxine Williams, will take on a new role focused on accessibility and engagement.

Mr Zuckerberg also believed companies had become too culturally "neutered." He said this realisation came after he started interacting more with men in the mixed martial arts community. "You want women to succeed and companies to unlock the value of great people no matter their background," he said. "But I think these things can all always go a little far."