- Bill Gates says he was less intense than Elon Musk and Steve Jobs in pushing innovation at Microsoft.
- Though Gates memorized employee license plates to monitor work hours in his 20s, he now laughs off being “very nice” compared to them.
- He believes his focused leadership shaped an enduring problem-solving lens.
Leadership Style
Asked about his leadership style while building Microsoft’s culture of innovation, Bill Gates said he considers himself more easygoing than fellow tech luminaries like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs.
“I think of myself as very nice compared to those guys,” Gates remarked with a laugh during an interview this week. While acknowledging a certain intensity is required to drive breakthroughs, Gates drew a contrast to Jobs and Musk.
“Everybody is different. Elon pushes hard, maybe too much. Steve Jobs pushed hard, maybe too much.”
Bill’s tricks
Gates confirmed that he memorized employee license plates in Microsoft’s early days to track their work hours and commitment.
But the billionaire cited his relentless focus in his 20s as instrumental to the software firm’s success.
Romantic?
Compared to his turbulent relationships with Jobs and Musk over the years, Gates perhaps views his hard-driving leadership more romanticly.
Either way, he believes it shaped his “innovation lens” in tackling problems that still guide his approach today.
