Leadership
There is no doubt that Bill Gates is one of the greatest leaders in the entrepreneurial world. He has several qualities that make him a leader not only in the entrepreneurial perspective but also in the social perspective. Gates’ charisma is irrefutable, and this has seen him get more concerned about making people appreciate themselves rather than feel good about him. Another quality that makes Gates a leader is his commitment, which is highlighted by the several strides he has made to put Microsoft at the level it is today. The theory of leadership that best explains Gates’ leadership is the trait theory. According to this theory, leaders are born with the right combination of attributes that enable them to have control over others (Kippenberger, 2002). As mentioned earlier, Gates was born a competent man, and this is highlighted by his time while at school. Other than his charismatic nature, Gates has other traits such as persistence, tolerance, assertiveness, dependability and decisiveness that make him be considered as a leader in every perspective and context. Gates’ leadership style can be regarded as democratic as he shares decision-making abilities with other stakeholders of the Microsoft Company. Agreeably, this leadership style is effective for him since he has managed to promote cooperation, togetherness, and trust among stakeholders of Microsoft, making it one of the most successful companies globally.
In 2012, Bill Gates was ranked by Forbes as the 4th most powerful and influential person internationally. These were attributed to his wealth and donations to several charity organizations. However, being an entrepreneur based in the US, he has to abide by governmental rules, regulations, and policies, which are implemented by the US executive headed by the president. As such, the US president can be considered as one of the few individuals with power and influence over Bill Gates. As a result of his power and influence, Gates has managed to acquire several companies such as International Business Machines (IBM). The impact of his power and influence has contributed to Microsoft’s unstoppable expansion. According to French and Raven’s theory of power, it is seen that Gates has organizational power (Lunenburg, 2012), which means that he has power and influence over stakeholders at Microsoft. Through this, Gates has managed to ensure the effectiveness of operations at the company. On the other hand, the fact that the US president has power and influence over Gates has seen the company comply with government regulations and policies, and this has played an integral role in Microsoft’s success.
References
Kippenberger, T. (2002). Leadership Styles. Chichester: Capstone Pub.
Lunenburg, F. C. (2012). Power and leadership: an influence process. International journal of management, business, and administration, 15(1), pp. 1-9.