LEADERSHIPSTYLEOFBILLGATES

William (Bill) H. Gates III is co-founder, chairman and chief executive

officer of Microsoft Corporation, the world's leading provider of software for
personal computers.
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up
in Seattle. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattleattorney. Mary
Gates,
their
late
mother,
was
a
schoolteacher,University of Washington regent and chairwoman of United
Way International.
Gates attended public elementary school before moving on to the
private Lakeside School in North Seattle. It was at Lakesidethat Gates
began his career in personal computer software, programming computers
at age 13.
In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived
down the hall from Steve Ballmer, who is now Microsoft's president. While
at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language
BASIC for the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair. BASIC was first
developed by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz at Dartmouth College in the
mid-1960s. In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his
energies full-time to Microsoft, a company he had started in 1975 with his
boyhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer
would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they
began developing software for personal computers.
Gates' foresight and vision regarding personal computing have been
central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. Gates is
actively involved in key management and strategic decisions at Microsoft,
and plays an important role in the technical development of new products.
Much of his time is devoted to meeting with customers and staying in
contact with Microsoft employees around the world through e-mail.
Facts about Bill Gates
1. Queen Elizabeth gave him the title of 'Knight Commander of the Order of
the British Empire'.
2. IBM contracted him for the development of their first Personal Computer.
3. He is the Co-Founder and the Chairperson of Microsoft.
4. He is the world's third richest person (As per the survey done in 2008)

5. He is an American Business Magnate.

6. Yes, it is Mr. Bill Gates, a living example of success.
7. Microsoft Windows is the world's most successful operating system. And
the man behind its success is Bill Gates.
Bill Gates - A Successful Entrepreneur
Gates is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the world. He is able
to run a successful and a profitable entrepreneurship for many years and
even today, we cannot survive in this competitive world without it.
Vision and dedication are the key factors of being a successful
entrepreneur and these skills were present in Bill Gates from the beginning.
He has got the skills to identify the most suitable employee for recruitment.
The success of Microsoft is the true example of the entrepreneurial skills of
Bill Gates.
The success story of Bill Gates is highly motivating for all the upcoming
entrepreneurs.
His hard work, dedication and self-confidence helped him to earn
everything he has. He is a simple man and slightly conservative in regards
of money although he is one of the richest people of the world.
The youth can take inspirations from the life of Bill Gates.
So it can be concluded that Bill Gates is one of the ideal personalities of the
world who has honestly contributed towards the world's success.
Achievements as a successful entrepreneur
The list of achievements of Bill Gates is so long that a book can be written
about it. Some of his achievements are mentioned below:
1. In 2005, Bill Gates knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to
the British economy. His title will be 'Knight Commander of the Order of
the British Empire.
2. Time Magazine included his name in '100 most influential people of 20th
century'. His name was continuously there from 2004 till 2006.
3. He has received doctorates from various universities and institutes
like Harvard University and The Royal Institute of Technology.

4. Bill Gates and his wife have done many generous works for the welfare
of the society. For this, they have received the award of 'Order of the Aztec
Eagle' in Mexico.
5. Sunday Times included his name in its Power List in 1999.
6. Forbes Magazine listed his name in 'The World's Richest People' from
the year 1995 to 2007.
7. Berkshire Hathaway, an investment company, approached him to be the
Director of the company.
In 2000 Gates resigns as CEO of Microsoft to spend more on software
architecture and less with running the company

CHARACTERISTICS OF BILL GATES

INTELLIGENT
He believes that if you are intelligent and know how to apply your
intelligence, you can achieve anything. From childhood Bill was ambitious,
intelligent and competitive. These qualities helped him to attain top position
in the profession he chose.
VISIONARY
Microsoft's vision is "A computer on every desk and Microsoft software on
every computer he will continue to stomp out the competition until he dies.
Every business and household must have a computer and must run
Microsoft software, was the basic guiding vision of Bill Gates.
PASSION
When as a student at the Harvard University, every single student would
have wanted to be part of the great institute and graduate to be successful,
Bill Gates decided to stop studying and pursue his dream of writing
softwares for every computer in the world
He was just passionate about software, coding and technology that
incidentally also made him the richest man in the world

INNOVATION
Gates and Allen were assisted by a staff of six, which included four
programmers. In late 1977, Gates released a version of FORTRAN
language for microcomputers. In 1978, Gates and Allen introduced a
version of COBOL. Around this time, Microsoft emerged as the market
leader in microcomputer languages with sales exceeding $1 million. In
1979, Microsoft developed a new version of BASIC... He had an early
interest in software and began programming computers at the age of
thirteen.
.
RISK BEARER
In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies fulltime to Microsoft, a company he had started in 1975 with his boyhood
friend Paul Allen development of new products.
CONTINOUS LEARNER
Microsoft is not about greed. Its about Innovation and Fairness. Bill
Gates
Never stop learning was the Mantra of Bill Gates which he follow till date.
This empowers him to be a Great Leader of our times. He will always be
remembers as an Icon and even without his presence in Microsoft he would
still be regarded as a great inventor and a real genius in every regard of
Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship.
ACCEPTING THE CRITICISMS
Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of
failure.
There will be people who would want to make fun of your efforts, pull you
down and so on. The stronger you stand the bolder you get the faster these
negatives wither.
When IBM pulled out of the contract for the operating system to be bundled
with the IBM Clone PCs, Bill Gates stayed on and started focusing on the
creating Windows amidst lots of hiccups that will hamper the company.
OTHER KEY LESSONS-BILL GATES
If you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will
be moved to act. Bill Gates

This is one never mentioned secret of success. Action is the key word.
When logic never drives us its emotions. We must have take action. Bill
Gates as a small young boy never had anything to lose which he kept
telling his good friend Paul Allen. When he had several odds again him
such as the American Law and several cases against him, he still
consistently took action by developing more software which the people
wanted. This made him a super star overnight.
Whether its Google or Apple or free software, weve got some fantastic
competitors and it keeps us on our toes Bill Gates
Bill Gates took up the responsibility of being the Chief Software Architect,
Bill Gates was nurturing Microsoft by building a broad range of products.
This was not just capitalizing on the knowledge but provide the best by
understanding the need of the people.
Bill Gates' Secrets of Success
Hard work: Bill Gates is a hard worker since the beginning of his life. In his
college days, he used to work all night long on his computer. When
Microsoft was started, Bill Gates used to sleep only for 6 hours in a day
without skipping a single day of office. For Bill Gates, hard work is one of
the main keys of success.
Entrepreneurship:
Entrepreneurship is an integral part and is present in Bill Gates from the
beginning. He knows how to manage his work, he always takes a keen
interest in learning, he learns from his own mistakes, he is a creative
person and, most of all, and he is focused towards his goals.
Confidence:
Bill Gates has always been a highly confident person. He was always
confident
about
his
dream
of
becoming
successful.
Managerial Skills: The great managerial skills of Bill Gates helped Microsoft
to be a successful company. He efficiently managed all the areas of the
company
which
required
his
focus.
A Great Convincer: Bill Gates is gifted with great convincing skills. He has
made lots of successful deals in his career. The deal with IBM was one of
them.
Technical Mind:

Bill Gates is born with a highly technical bent of mind. It is a gift of god to
him. Microsoft has earned lots of success through this technical mind.
He Had A Vision:
From day one, Gates dreamed of having a personal computer in every
home, in every business and in every school. Throughout his career, he
never once wavered from this dream. Focusing on software as the means
to popularize the PC, Gates built his empire around this central vision and
steered clear of all other distractions. And, the vision continues today. We
are not even close to finishing the basic dream of what the PC can be, he
says.
He Had a Solid Team:
If we werent still hiring great people and pushing ahead at full speed, it
would be easy to fall behind and become a mediocre company, says
Gates. From Microsofts inception, Gates prioritized his team, bringing in
only trusted friends to help him get the company started. As the company
grew, he insisted that they hire only the most capable young minds and
strove to create a small and creative environment for them to thrive in.
Microsoft succeeded not only because of Gates, but also because of the
strong
team
that
stood
behind
him.
He Took a Long-Term Approach:
In the decade ahead I can predict that we will provide over twice the
productivity improvement that we provided in the 90s, said Gates. This
bold statement captures Gates philosophy behind his entire business.
Never one to chase after instant success or an immediate pay-off, Gates
began coding software with a view to the next fifty years. He has constantly
tried to keep his company at the forefront of new technological
developments by funding new research initiatives. Gates long-term
approach helped ensure Microsofts remarkable staying power.
He Learned From Failure:
In hindsight, Gates early failures seem so miniscule that they are almost
laughable. But, as a struggling entrepreneur, he went through the same
frustration, confusion and despair that others in his situation also face.
What distinguishes Gates from the rest was his ability to rebound from his

mistakes and take whatever lessons he could from them. He then became
even more resolute and determined to see his vision realize.
He Never Stopped Asking Questions:
I believe that through our natural inventiveness, creativity and willingness
to solve tough problems, were going to make some amazing
achievements, said Gates speaking to the future possibilities for medicine,
education and technology. When Gates faced a dilemma, he didnt stop
and give up. He asked questions about what could be done to solve the
problem. From his business activities to his philanthropic efforts, Gates
curiosity and desire to constantly be learning has been one of the key
factors behind his success.
If I'd had some set idea of a finish line, don't you think I would have
crossed it years ago? asks Gates. Showing no signs of slowing down,
Gates continues to fuel his business, inspire his workers and make his
contribution to the global village.
At Microsoft, there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all
come from the top, says Gates. Im afraid thats not quite right.
While Gates has been the famous face of Microsoft for over thirty years, it
took the help of numerous other trusted individuals to help realize the
companys success.

When Allen and Gates first met as students at Lakeside, they instantly
formed a strong bond over their passion for computers. And, it was a bond
that would last for the rest of their lives. Knowing each others strengths
and weaknesses, interests and passions and having a strong sense of trust
enabled these two entrepreneurs to form one of the most successful
working relationships of the 20th century.
Gates, recognizing the importance of a solid and trustworthy team, also
brought on two former high school friends, Ric Weiland and Marc
McDonald, to be part of the core Microsoft group. Gates knew that if
Microsoft was going to get its feet off the ground, it was going to take the
hard work and sweat that he trusted few others to put in. From day one, he

understood the importance of having a small team that could join together
each persons enthusiasm around a common goal.
When Gates moved the operation to Seattle in 1979, he had a staff of 16
people. As Microsoft grew, so too did the number of employees that the
company required. Gates continued to bring in trusted friends of his whose
characters he understood and who he knew he could trust, including his
friend from college, Steve Ballmer, who was thereafter in charge of human
resources. Steve and I were kind of driving the business and Paul and I
were driving the technology, recalls Gates. Our success has really been
based
on
partnerships
from
the
very
beginning.
The move to Seattle proved to be a boon for Microsoft in that it enabled the
company to have a much wider range of skilled candidates to choose from.
In the world of software a lot of the brilliant ideas of Microsoft come from a
broad set of great people we've been able to hire, says Gates. In one
particularly key move, Ballmer hired Charles Simonyi, one of the original
founders of the Xerox Palo Alto research lab, whose knowledge about
graphical interfaces made a significant contribution to Microsofts later
graphical applications.

As their number of staff began increasing into the thousands, the company
typically focused on hiring people right out of school. Most of our
developers, we decided that we wanted them to come with clear minds, not
polluted by some other approach, to learn the way that we liked to develop
software, and to put the kind of energy into it that we thought was key,
recalls Gates.
Microsoft continues to seek out only the best in order to help it stay ahead
of its increasingly fierce competition. They key for us, number one, has
always been hiring very smart people, says Gates. There is no way of
getting around, that in terms of IQ, youve got to be very elitist in picking
people who deserve to write software. Ninety-five percent of the people
shouldnt write complex software.
By hiring the best and the brightest and carrying out work in small teams

that stimulate free and creative thinking, Microsoft has managed to retain
its competitive edge for over three decades.
Though he never set out to be a millionaire, Gates not only became the
worlds first cent billionaire in 1999, but also one of the worlds most
respected entrepreneurs for having revolutionized the world of computers
and setting new industry standards. I really had a lot of dreams when I was
a kid, recalls Gates.