7 Key Lessons from a Greatest Leader of all times - Bill Gates
June 27, 2008
28th June, 2008 saw the end of an era in Business, Technology and Greatness. Founder of Microsoft, William Henry Gates III, presently the 3rd richest person in the world, decided to hang his boots and start living a life with bigger purpose. My idol for a long time, Bill Gates has been a name to reckon with at every single home, at every single corporation. His career spanning over 33 long years provided a great sense of achievement for himself and the rest of the computer industry. He quoted “If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG”. This is the kind of influence he had after founding Microsoft Corporation the big giant in the IT industry. I want to write here some of the great learning’s of mine from this genius.
Success comes with a Great Vision
“Every business and household must have a computer and must run Microsoft software”, was the basic guiding vision of Bill Gates. When everyone in the world were not even aware of the software industry’s future here was a man who trusted on his gut feel and passion decided to take the vision the farthest possible way. He was almost there achieving his vision. This clear vision of him won him several laurels and went to be the richest person in the world for 13 continuous long years.
“Do what you are Passionate about, the rest will Follow” – Praveen Sherman
This is something that I learnt from Bill Gates even as an young lad. I grew up seeing the success of Bill Gates and I was for a long time 
under the impression that he was just making lots of money by luck. But what Bill Gates proved was different. There is no one who could write software code as he could. 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. Just started the agreement between IBM and Microsoft, Gates along with friend Paul Allen was to write an interpreter for the IBM PC. He was not ready on the date that was announced for the installation and the good news for Gates was that the party at the other end too were not ready. This got the fire in him to write that piece of software and bundle with every IBM computer in the world. He was just passionate about software, coding and technology that incidentally also made him the richest man in the world
“Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana” says Bill Gates that has made him a great innovator too. Focusing on taking the computer to every single house hold made him an household name too.
Failures are learning lessons:
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” - Bill Gates
Bill Gates was never afraid of losing and went on to win a lot of deals because of this. While the Microsoft windows operating system is the widely used in the world, there are a good number of criticisms and unhappiness about the software among the users. While many of them used to get bugged using Microsoft products, Bill Gates did not easily give up. He took all those as nice lesson and is improving every single day. When critics were talking about infringement of laws by Bill Gates, he struck on and was giving the best the employees and the users of Microsoft Software products.
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” - Bill Gates
Higher the Self Esteem the better it gets
When you start achieving something big, 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. Inventing the MS Access database system, was a relevant owing to the failure of the Omega Database with IBM. He saw an opportunity at every single place that helped him to achieve greatest heights. He did not allow others to deter him by inventing many thins to the public and still reaching his top most Goals and vision.
“Whether it’s Google or Apple or free software, we’ve got some fantastic competitors and it keeps us on our toes” – Bill Gates
Opportunity knocks once:
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 capitalize on the knowledge but provide the best by understanding the need of the people. He did not sit back and wait for people to ask what they wanted and instead made a revolution of creating an opportunity for himself and his company by innovating. He did not sit and do something that anyone could, but he took the reins into his hands to almost single handedly take Microsoft to this great heights.
“I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act.” – Bill Gates
Action Speaks Louder
This is one never mentioned secret of success. Action is the key word. When logic never drives us its emotions. We must have that emotional strength in us to 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. If not for Bill Gates, Microsoft would have not seen the light today of what it gets. This was because of his constant delivery of ideas to his Goals and vision.
He was a drop out from one of the worlds best universities the Harvard and not everyone from there went to achieve great heights like Bill Gates did, which proves the basic fact that education is just a tool for success and does not define success itself. During the convocation address at the Harvard university, Bill Gates mentioned that good he came when they were graduating and not when during the time when they joined the university else they would have changed their mind.
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” – Bill Gates
Trust- An unwritten rule for great leadership wisdom
Right from day 1 at Microsoft, Bill Gates was very open to the ideas. This he also proved later when Steve Balmer stepped into the shoes of Bill Gates and became the CEO of the company. He always believed that there is no end to learning from people, from books and so on. “I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot”, says Bill Gates ready for more ideas to float around which will make sure that the same culture of innovation continues in Microsoft even without his presence.
“At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the top - I’m afraid that’s not quite right.” – Bill Gates
Success must never get on to the head
This is by far the best lesson what we learn from Bill Gates. At a tender age of 21, Bill Gates had achieved many a things including having money and fame. This did not allow him to stop achieving and always had the drive to achieve great heights. “If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?” quote Bill Gates with utmost passion and determination.
“Microsoft is not about greed. It’s 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.
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34 Responses to “7 Key Lessons from a Greatest Leader of all times - Bill Gates”
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I am Sure each and everyone can learn something from Bill Gates.
I find this article as MOST Inspiring and Motivating one.
I do agree that learning is continious in Life.
It is a very useful site giving day to dau tips for better living
Great article (and needless to say great compilation of quotes).
Passion is an obvious driving force behind any success. It is strange how many people who complain about not succeeding don’t see it. Bill Gates didn’t start Microsoft so he could make money. He started it because he was passionate about the field and wanted to make a difference.
Only yesterday I was talking to someone who wanted to start a blog. He said, “I hear there is money to be made with this blogging thing. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
I didn’t know what to say to him. I tell people not to do things everyone else is doing. But to do what they want to do. Success (money, fame, blah, blah) automatically follows.
The mistake many make is assuming that money will bring happiness. It may get you a temporary high. But if you are not doing something you are passionate about, you will be back to whining in no time at all.
Thank you for this post!
Bill Gates is a visionary man and most kind hearted billionaire of this era. He has selflessly given away more money than any other billionaire in the history. It is sad that Forbes of the world is obsessed with the list of Top 10 billionaires and not the Top 10 billionaires with big heart. I remember that for a while he refused to even travel in the first class despite being a billionaire. That speaks a volume about this man of a great character.
Shilpan
@Vimoh,
“Bill Gates didn’t start Microsoft so he could make money. He started it because he was passionate about the field and wanted to make a difference.”
Excellent Note Vijay,
Very True..Do What you are Passionate about and the rest will follow
@Shilpan ! Successsoul.com.
Hey shilpan,
Great to see you here..
Truely,Totally, Bill Gates is a great Person to model from…
Hi Praveen,
I have always been a fan of Bill Gates. I strongly believe that we will eventually find success when we do things with great passion. Bill gates is a perfect example whereby he built his multi billion empire through passion.
I also agree that we need to face failure with a positive attitude. Failure is something inevitable that we face in our lives. It is up to us to face it , to accept and to learn, that we can have a greater purpose in our destiny.
Great passage praveen!
wow wow wow
very true being so super rich he is still a common man. I like his simplicity as well as his motivational and inspiring thoughts.
How beautiful these lesson are ?
these lessons made me to think again about the aim of my life and what i have done so far.
thanx a lot for sharing it.
BILL is a great man…..
*But every one who want to command supernatural manifestation must be spiritually empowered
*For every manifestation is provoked by empowerment…………..
*Life is about you waiting for the storms to pass but it about you learning to dance in the rain…..
TAKE THAT……………………………….
BILL is a great man…..
*But every one who want to command supernatural manifestation must be spiritually empowered
*For every manifestation is provoked by empowerment…………..
*Life is NOT about you waiting for the storms to pass but it about you learning to dance in the rain…..
TAKE THAT……………………………….
Hi….. Bill Gates if I were eighteen years of age I would love to listen to your advice you have changed our lives. Your Microsoft products are amazing and you are a very smart man and I think a kind man. I am a senior citizen who is about to lose my home of twenty eight years. Please at least read my comments. My husband has been disabled since 1994. He was in a terrible truck accident. He was on top of his load and the fork lift driver pushed one of the palltets and it hit my husband and knocked him to the pavement below. He crushed his back and on foot. The doctors did the best they could. He has steel screws and mental pins in his foot and they had to take bones from other part of his body to replace the ones that were crushed. This was our down fall. Togerher we receive thirteen hundred and fifty dollars a month and our house payment is almost one thousand dollars a month. We have been paying most of our bills from the funds from our savings account, which at this time our savings are almost depleted.
I am not able to work because in 1986 I found out I have a disease called Fibromyalgia. This disease attacks all my muscles, tendons and nerves through out my whole body. I am in pain 24/7, We have no one and no where to turn. So I decided to write to you for help. For the last five years I have entered at least a thousand sweepstakes hoping I could win some money. I would type till my fingers were burning and so far I have not won anything.
I want to start a business in real estate. What I need is capitol to start. My brother is in real estate and he is willing to help me find homes at a low price and are in very poor condition and restore them. I will hire painters, plumbers, gardeners and who ever I need to put the house back on the market. We will try to sell the home for a very good price, to also help the home owners. I desperately need your help. This will save my home and give me a new lease on life. If I do not get help I will lose everything we have worked hard for all our lives.
Please put yourself in my shoes. we are living on the edge and this worry is killing me day after day. I need a God send.
Bill Gate is a man of great ideas.He always tried to make the present day more better than the previous day.
my mind is all about my life and my two kids ,we need some help from u my kids are not cos i do not have money two take them two school and am a widow .
i like it
what a person!!
Oh brother,
If Bill Gates is so compassionate, how come you can walk downtown from the waterfront and up and run into HOMELESS people? Or is he only concerned with helping overseas so he can apear to be a humanitarian? Why hasn’t he built any HOMELESS SHELTERS or soup kitchens or place for women and children to stay? OR are he and his wife too busy flying around the world to notice the needs across the river in Seattle? Even in some of the countries where medicines are suppossed to be available to help fight AIDS the poor have no MONEY to BUY them and some of the factories and industries SUPPORTED by GATES and CO. pollute the land of the people making it even more diffilcult to sustain their way of life or help thier familes. (please pardon the typos, no spell-check).DO a little RESEARCH PEOPLE. The informations at the tip of your fingers. Even though its squashed. Check out what happened to Dr. GARY KILLDALL the REAL founder of the first PC Operating system. One of the first graduates in the field from the University of Washington.
It’s so amaging to hear the keys of success from such persononality. Gaining some knowlege from biography of gates’ success, a heavy emotional motive comes in the dumb mind to be encoruaged from him and to be a successful person in near future. Having strong desire to be like him in addition to his words has made my heart and soul so innovative as if even I have a capabilty but stuck with the drastic political comittent of the country. Do good and Be good !!!
EXELLENT ! EXELLENT! Today onwards i have become the fan of the great BILL GATES sir. Yes really after reading his biography i am speachless and i am really stunned by his character . today onwards he is my role model and really whether u believe or not i felt like crying after reading this ……thank you sir thank u sir
i am always like billgates.i am getting more info about billgates from this
hey sue!
so if you had that much money? how would you help the needy? you stupid bitch. there’s a reason he’s where he is. and there’s a reason you’re where you are. shut the fuck up and take some notes. idiot.
Bill-Gates is a very minded and INTELLIGENT BOY……………
IT is great, shl try to derive strength for my new ventures to be launched shortly.
He serves as an inspiration these days. http://learner-spot.blogspot.com
BILL is a great man….
Along with almost everything which appears to be building inside this particular subject material, a significant percentage of opinions tend to be very exciting. Having said that, I am sorry, because I do not give credence to your entire plan, all be it refreshing none the less. It appears to everyone that your commentary are generally not entirely justified and in simple fact you are generally your self not really entirely confident of your assertion. In any event I did take pleasure in reading through it.
Everything was great written over here, its good 2 know all this about the genious Bill gates .
I am Highly Impressed…..
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I am so thankful for Bill Gates, he is so supportive for being just a human being. Thank you for supporting me in such a bad time Bill Gates, by you just being
God Bless you,
I all the time used to study piece of writing in news papers but now as I am a
user of web therefore from now I am using net for content, thanks
to web.