Profile of a leader - Bill Gates

Profile of a leader- Bill Gates Student Name Institutional Affiliation Profile of a leader- Bill Gates There are individuals in the world that have inspired many through their leadership either in religion, academic, corporate and politics. Such individuals have contributed to the improvement of the lives of people. These people qualify to be heroes because of their immense achievements. One such individual that have been an outstanding leader is Bill Gates. The rationale for choosing the leader Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft Inc. which has been critical in transforming how people use personal computers. As CEO of the company, Gates demonstrated leadership skills that led to the growth of the company. He foresaw the development of Microsoft Windows, which has created an environment for IT experts to build their software. In addition to being a successful CEO, Gates has been instrumental in transforming the lives of people through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Banerjee, 2018). The organization has been critical in improving the lives of the poor through the various programs especially in health. Characteristics and achievements One of the notable characteristics of Bill Gates is his desire to learn. At a young age, Gates developed an interest in reading (Howorth & Jacobs, 2017). While other children were watching cartoons, Gates would spend his time reading books to gain more knowledge. This allowed him to gain knowledge at a tender age. Even today, Gates continues to be an excellent reader. He believes that reading creates an opportunity for people to understand the world around them. Another characteristic of Gates is his dedication to work. He believes that hard work is critical to achieving goals in life (Rampton, 2016). This has been demonstrated from the earlier days at Microsoft Inc. where he worked hard to make the company successful. His dedication to work allows him to be focused. As a result, Gates managed to build a team of dedicated young people who went on to create one of the most successful companies in the world today. Furthermore, Gates is caring about people. Gates has remained caring about the suffering of the less fortunate in society. He has encouraged other wealthy individuals in the world like Warren Buffet to sign the giving pledge, a commitment to give a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes or charitable organizations (Clifford, 2018). Gates has encouraged people to reflect on what they have achieved with their talents. He believes that individuals should not only judge themselves by their professional achievements, but also how well they address some of the world’s deepest inequalities, and how well they treat others. Having such a caring and empathetic attitude has enabled more people to admire him. Gates it the type of a leader who is not working towards his personal goals, rather he desires to see others grow. This is a key quality that makes Gates a successful leader. Lastly, Gates has excellent communication skills. Gates has used these skills to ensure that those he works with understand his vision. According to Prive (2012), it is critical for individuals to know how to explain what is on their minds to others. Gates has used his communication skills to create a productive working environment in Microsoft Inc. and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. While Gates was the CEO at Microsoft, he ensured that the employees understood the vision for the company which was critical in enabling Microsoft Inc. to become a world leader in software development. Throughout his life, Bill Gates has made numerous achievements. Firstly, he co-founded Microsoft which has been instrumental in the technology space. Microsoft Inc. has been a leader in the development of software. The company has enabled access to personal computers to people in the world. Initially, personal computers were not accessible to the general public because of the high costs involved. However, by licensing the Microsoft Windows to various hardware manufacturers, Microsoft Inc. facilitated the access of computers to more people. Additionally, Gates has been one of the richest people in the world. He made his fortune from Microsoft Inc. as the company progressively grew. Gates has demonstrated that it is possible for individuals to become wealthy through legitimate means. He has not earned his wealth by doing illegal business as people would expect. Instead, Gates has been a role model that anyone can work hard and become successful. He serves as an example that anyone can achieve the American Dream. Through hard work, any American can proceed to become successful. The approach to Leadership Gate’s leadership approach to leadership while serving as the CEO for Microsoft Inc. was autocratic. While most leaders including Bill Gates exhibit more than one leadership style, there is always a dominant one. In the case of Gates, autocratic leadership was more pronounced during his tenure as the CEO of the company. Autocratic leadership is concern...