Leadership Lessons from Bill Gates

People learn best by emulating the behavior of others around them.
Instead of reading about the concepts of leadership, we can look at
successful leaders to see how they became that way, and use them as
role models for our behavior. And who is a better role-model than the
man who changed the way we use information for work and for learning,
built the most successful computer company in the world, and, in the
process, became the richest man on earth?

Here are some key leadership lessons we can learn from Bill Gates:

1- Seize the Day: Formal Education Is Not the Only Way! Bill Gates
dropped out of Harvard after realizing that he can make an impact on
the world right away by starting a software company to utilize new
technologies. He realized that sometimes opportunities come knocking
only for a short window of time, and one must seize that opportunity
or it will be forever lost.

2- Don't Be In It For Money: Money is not the real motivator. If Gates
was concerned about money, he would have stayed at Harvard, ensuring
himself a future with a steady high income. Instead, he pursued his
dream of developing software for a new world of information usage that
satisfied his passion and stimulated his mind. Gates did not pursue
money. Money came to him because he offered the world something of
great value.

3- Be Competitive, But Not Vicious: While building Microsoft, Gates
was certainly very competitive in his business practices, as he
should. But as a leader, he did not use an aggressive, abusive, or
nasty style of management. His personal demeanor was low-key,
courteous, and civilized. If you worked with, or for, some top
American executives you will know that this is not very common. Gates
managed to stay a decent human being as he grew to be a formidable
business leader. What a rare combination!

4- Greed Is Not Good. Contrary to the famous advice of the film "Wall
Street" that "Greed Is Good," Gates teaches us, with his behavior,
that vision, humanity, and satisfaction are mush better qualities to
have. He could have continued to seek more money and power as most
American business leaders do. But he did not believe that greed is a
virtue. At the zenith of his years and while he is at the top of his
game, he announced he will step down in two years and have someone
else guide the global company he built. It takes someone with great
personal strength and lack of greed to be able to make such a selfless
decision.

5- Give As Much As You Take. Gates has wisely discovered that you can
have as much, if not more, happiness in giving as you do in taking. He
decided to spend the rest of his life giving away his huge wealth to
worthwhile causes like fighting AIDS in Africa and helping libraries
in the US. Leaders who find ways in which to give of their time,
talent, and wealth tend to lead a more balanced and satisfied life
than those who focus on just taking and accumulating. When you hear
Gates talk these days, you will hear a positive vision for raising the
health and education standards of poor people around the world. This
contrasts significantly with other rich business leaders who tend to
talk mainly about the stocks, their business success, or just
themselves