- There are many business personalities out there, people who can inspire thought and dread in equal measure. For their successes seem like fairy tale, yet only a few have remained committed to the ideals of humanity.
- These individuals have invested billions of dollars on philanthropy and sought to change lives of people so far away from home. Bill Gates has remained at the forefront of philanthropy for more than a decade now, showing the same dedication to giving out money as he has in making it.
Program Area
- Of all the business personalities that I have come to appreciate as exemplary, Mr. Gates remains ahead of the park. He is primarily a leader in the post-modern technology, but his business acumen has been seen through his struggle in the development of Microsoft, from an upstart to a global leader in PC software.
- The purpose is this course project is to enable me as a growing student to learn the practical skills in research, whilst learning about personalities who have had significant influence in my field of study. An in-depth study of my role model would therefore help me redraft my path to success in my chosen field.
Characteristics
- William Henry “Bill” Gates was born on October 28 1955 and is often described as an inventor, investor, programmer, a business magnate, and philanthropist. He alongside Paul Allen founded Microsoft and was its chief executive for a long time, driving it to the number one spot as the largest personal-computer software company.
- His business acumen has earned him a top spot in the listing of world billionaires according to Bloomberg. Forbes has also given him one of the top two spots every other year in their listing of billionaires. In 2006 Mr. Gates stepped down from his role as the chief executive of Microsoft and declared that he will be concentrating more in his philanthropy vehicle; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Personal leadership traits
- In my area of specialization, there are pertinent skills that one requires to succeed. First and foremost, other than good academic credentials, I will need to have specific people skills; these are the soft skills that one can capitalize on in order to bring about maximum productivity of others.
- I would summarize these skills as; (1) ability to relate well with others, (2) strong communication skills, (3) patience with others, (4) ability to trust others, (5) active listening skills, and (6) knowing how and when to show empathy. Leadership in essence is about being in possession emotional intelligence. Ones IQ and technical skills will certainly matter as threshold capabilities, but will not distinguish one as a formidable leader. It is about self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, motivation, and empathy.
Conclusion
- On a personal level, I have sought to identify my strengths and weaknesses in order to discern where I would fit professionally. Foremost I have been touted as a stronger communicator, able to explicitly express my sentiments to my peers. I also find it easy to self-regulate, able to beat deadlines, whilst showing great motivation in every endeavor I undertake. On the flipside, my ability to speak my mind as sometimes left people reeling in distaste. To become a better leader, I will have to work on all these shortcomings.
References
Gates , B., Domonkos, D., Myhrvold, N., & Rinearson, P. (2008). The Road Ahead. New York: Pearson Education.
Goleman, D. (1998). What Makes a Good Leader? Harvard: Harvard College.
Lesinski, J. M. (2009). Bill Gates: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. Mineapolis: Lerner Publishing Group.
Mccully , G. (2008). Philanthropy Reconsidered: Private Initiatives Public Good Quality of Life. Bloomington: Author House.
