Gates Essays - Big History, Bill Gates, , Term Papers

Gates Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and served as its Chief Executive Officer form the time the original partnership was incorporated in 1981 until January 2000. Then he resigned as Chief Executive Officer and took on the position of Chief Software Architect. Mr. Gates has served as Chairman of the Board since the companys incorporation. Bill Gates is recognized as the youngest self-made billionaire in history. His windows operating system, runs the vast majority of personal computers throughout the United States. It is obvious that it takes a certain type of person to successfully create and maintain such a profitable organization. However, when closely examined, Gates leadership characteristics are somewhat surprising. The way in which he directs his corporation is unique, and yet, still extremely prosperous. For a man to dropout of a prestigious university such as Harvard in chase of his dream, one must be devout in his pursuit. Gates has always believed in his goal and has never stopped striving for perfection. This sort of aim for fulfillment has a tendency to rub-off on others closely tied to Gates. In fact, others have cited this charismatic leadership as a major key to Microsofts success. Microsofts success depends on dedicated workers who have enormous faith in a charismatic leader, claims Scott Winkler, an analyst at Gartner Group: Bill tells them to do something and they do it. They believe in him. Hes never let them down in the past. The corporate culture is that Bills always right. Gates recognizes the need to have others, as well as he, focus on the groups vision and he realizes that it is the leaders responsibility to inspire his subordinates by leading by example. Charismatic leaders understand that they alone cannot make the vision a reality; they need their followers help and support to create organizational or societal changes. Gates definitely sought the support and wisdom of others when in the process of building the company. He worked hands on with his fellow employees, identifying and correcting problems with software and continually setting and reaching long-term goals. The primary influence process is personal identification, which is influence derived from a followers desire to please and imitate the leader. Charismatic leaders appear so extraordinary, due to their strategic insight, strong convictions, self-confidence, unconventional behavior and dynamic energy, that the subordinates idolize these leaders and want to become like them. Perhaps the most extreme example of this is within the Microsoft camp were the so-called Bill Clones, extremely brilliant, young, and recent college graduates, who were hired as managers. So strong was the admiration of Gates that these young men began to emulate their leader in almost every way. Jeff Raikes soon had the patented Gates mannerisms down pat. Raikes was quickly named Clone Number One in Microsoft circles. A Stanford MBA, Raikes had migrated from Cupertino, where he had headed up the software effort on the ill-fated Apple III and had gained a reputation as a firefighter for taking on tough software assi gnments. Gates uses extraordinary discretion when hiring applicants to work for Microsoft. He wants to ensure that every single person shares the same prospectus for the corporation, yet in their own way, have personal beliefs that they are willing to stubbornly stick to. His aim is not to create clones within the organization, but to stockpile it with as much imaginative genius has possible. It is only a credit to his charismatic qualities that such extremely bright people wish to emulate Gates in every way. Bill Gates is moody, and he is the first to admit it. Gates temperament can sometimes cause him to be an inefficient leader, especially when it affects his listening. One of Gates administrative assistants, Estelle Mathers, had this to say about the CEOs personality. Bill is moody. He told somebody once that one of the things he loved so much about me was that I knew when to leave him alone. If you tended to interrupt him at a bad time, you could get hurt. However, it is also important t o note that Gates expected the same sort of tenacity from his colleagues. Mathers goes on to add, He liked it when you stood up to him. I remember banging