Personality Traits of Bill Gates Essay Example
Personality Traits of Bill Gates Essay Example

Personality Traits of Bill Gates Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (895 words)
  • Published: February 23, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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The purpose of this report is to explore the published work on strategic leadership in order to develop an inventory of qualities, skills and behaviours that define and explain the concept of strategic leadership. A full review of literature on this topic aims to shed light on this definition. Having discussed and defined this concept the report will then focus on Bill Gates, former CEO of the Microsoft Corporation, with the aim of answering the following question. Is Bill Gates a Strategic Thinker and Leader?

Throughout history we will recall that in the past, the word "leader" conjured up visions of an almost mythical figure astride a warhorse, slaying dragons or single-handedly rallying troops to achieve victory over superior foes. These leaders projected their authority so that others would follow; they could do any task better than their

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followers. They achieved success through personal tenacity, brute strength, and physical boldness, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.

Much of the initial work in leadership theory revolved around the idea of identifying the traits of popular political and military heroes such as Caesar, Wellington, Roosevelt and Churchill. However, the problem with the ‘great man’ approach was that no congruent body of traits could be identified, that much of leadership success was evidently dependent upon the particular situation. Nevertheless, the tabloid press helps us to think of the corporate leader as the great man. For instance we often read of Bill Gates or Jack Welch as if they were primarily responsible for many years of success at Microsoft and General Electric.

Although both were unarguably highly effective chief executives, what is

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it that drove these men and their companies to their success? A leader in innovative technology The Microsoft Corporation has been a giant in the software industry for over three decades. The company’s founders, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, put together an operating system for the computer world that ultimately captured the attention of every one on earth. However, it was Bill’s pure genius and leadership qualities that took software to a level that was unmatched by anyone.

Paul was the mastermind behind the hardware that needed Bill’s software to operate effectively. . Bill Gates: A Leader in Innovative Technology Everyone in the world wants a computer that is compatible with worldwide technology. Bill Gates is a gigantic leader in that innovative technology field. In spite of being a Harvard drop out, Mr. Gates transformed he revolution of technology into an industry of computer software that is unmatched in recent history. Gates used the charismatic, transactional, and the transformational styles.

While utilizing his charismatic style, Bill Gates used ethics, morals, self-confidence, enthusiasm, and a passion for creating an empire as well as inspiring his subordinates. As noted in Dubrin (2007), leadership is defined as “the ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organizational goals”. (p. 2) Bill Gates showed that ability in a way that has been, for the last three decades, unmatched by anyone. Not only is his mind genius in the creation of software, his leadership at Microsoft Corporation has been the most dignified in recent history.

Microsoft has been the world leader for quite some time; however, in these past few years,

Gates has opened the door for other companies to make their own software while he has contemplated retirement. Published March 30, 2009 Entrepreneur Characteristics: Personal Qualities of an Entrepreneur What makes an entrepreneur is a complex question. It includes factors from the environment in which an individual was raised, his or her family situation, and his or her personality traits. This question has been the subject of a great deal of both study and research.

The following discussion is a summary of my own observations plus some of the conclusions of others. About 20 or 25 years ago if you asked almost any expert to describe a successful entrepreneur, you would probably have been given a list similar to this: * Male * Only child * About 35 to 45 years old * Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering * Protestant * Born in the Midwest * Father owns a hardware store * As a youth, delivered newspapers and sold lemonade Should you be concerned if you do not fit this stereotype? Absolutely not. Very few of these are factors that determine whether an entrepreneur succeeds or fails.

However, much recent research and many of my own observations seem to indicate that there are qualities commonly found in successful entrepreneurs, and there are things that you can do if you are concerned about any you may lack. Many writers on this subject seem to be primarily concerned with the qualities found in successful entrepreneurs. I look at the questions a little differently and believe it is equally as important to consider those traits that successful entrepreneurs usually do not have and those traits

that simply do not matter.

Personal qualities common in successful entrepreneurs Motivation to achieve -- In almost every case, successful entrepreneurs are individuals who are highly motivated to achieve. They tend to be doers, people who make things happen. They are often very competitive. Many researchers have concluded that the most consistent trait found in successful entrepreneurs is the sheer will to win, the need to achieve in everything they do. They don't want to come in third, they don't want to come in second, they want to come in first.

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