Much has been said about the life, career and leadership of Bill Gates. For example, he is known for his calm, human way of leadership, which should not be confused with a lack of fanaticism. Netflix launched a new series in mid-September called 'Inside Bill's brain; decoding Bill Gates' in which Bill, his wife Melinda and their Foundation are central and in which you get a personal insight into his life and especially business and philanthropic commitment. The series offers a lot of inspiration about leadership and we are happy to share that. Here are 5 lessons from the series.
Read, read and read again
It can't be a coincidence that many world leaders are known as bookworms. Elon Musk appears to have read up to 10 hours a day in the past. Nelson Mandela was also an acknowledged reader. It is a characteristic that is also clearly evident in Gates during the series. He reads about 50 books a year, on all kinds of topics that interest him or that his Foundation invests in, for example in energy. By reading a lot you continue to learn constantly, you broaden your personal field of view and you remain broadly educated, which is very important for a leader.
Only a people person can be an inspiring leader
That's quite a statement. But we blindly believe in it. Someone who is driven by financial motivations can be a great entrepreneur and also inspiring, but will not be an inspiring leader in the long term. Of course, Bil Gates hasn't always been that way either. When Gates started Microsoft, it was probably mainly to build a successful company. His philanthropic inspiration only emerged over the years. However, at a basic level, Gates is a person close to his heart. That drives him and his wife to commit themselves to all kinds of major projects that should improve the world.
Think big
Too often we allow ourselves to be limited by all kinds of thresholds and boundaries that we set up for ourselves, or that are taught to us by others. For example, many people have ambitions to become an entrepreneur, but are talked out of it by friends, family or other acquaintances. Because the risk is so great, should you do that?
By thinking big and having big dreams, you can truly change the world. What about Elon Musk with Tesla, or his space program SpaceX? Bill and Melinda Gates also dare to tackle themes that everyone else would consider impossible, such as completely eradicating polio from the world. Or solve the energy crisis for good. Not everything works out, but by continuing to think big and daring to invest big, you can really bring about change.
Be competitive
A humane and calm approach to leadership should absolutely not be confused with a lack of fanaticism. On the contrary: if anything becomes clear from the series about Gates, it is that he wants to be the best at everything. Always. Ever since his youth. Competitiveness: it is an indispensable quality for top entrepreneurs and leaders. The challenge to excel at something and prove others wrong who didn't believe in it. But again: we should not link fanaticism and competitiveness with aggressive and authoritarian management, or with an arrogant attitude. Unfortunately, this link is often made in practice. Leaders like Gates prove this is wrong.
Follow your own vision
Having your own vision: it sounds like a no-brainer, but it isn't. Very few people have a substantive opinion of their own that they continue to hold on to when the heat is put on them. A great example from the series on Bill Gates concerns nuclear energy. While the rest of the world is largely opposed to nuclear energy due to images and a number of disasters, the Gates and their foundation see modern applications of nuclear energy as a possible solution to the energy crisis. They follow their strongly substantiated opinions and do not allow themselves to be misled by opponents and critics.
