Everyone wants to become Bill Gates? No wait.
Once upon a time, I was sooooo close to the world business leader Bill Gates. Let me be clear, it was Bill Gates before the Jeffrey Epstein debacle. My best friend, college roommate, Kang, was called “Bill Gates of the City.” He owned a truck transportation company with over a thousand employees and a fleet of trucks across the country. I don’t know what a truck company has to do with Microsoft. But back in the day when your business is on a catapult trajectory, everyone can be called Bill Gates.
Kang appeared on the news, at conventions, and summits, talked about leadership with irresistible conviction. I didn’t work for him so I had no chance to see his prowess in the business. But he seemed to possess all the traits of a great leader, passionate, eloquent, and driving. Whenever we met, he fervently preached his version of bringing his company to the global Fortune 500. Years later, the last time I saw him in the news, he faced charges for several crimes. His success story turned out to be some terrible business practices. Instead of building a sustainable enterprise, he resorted to fraudulent tactics, siphoning customer payments into his personal account for a lavish lifestyle.
The images of Kang in the news lingered in my mind for quite some time. He steps out of his Ferrari and stares at the camera, “Everyone should dream of becoming Bill Gates.” Two decades ago, it was a bold statement. There was a saying among the business people at that time. It goes, the patients will die in droves if every nurse in a hospital wants to become a doctor. Oftentimes I found myself asking Kang on TV, “If everyone wants to become Bill Gates, who is gonna work for him?”
Kang was my best friend. His story ended up taking a toll on my search for the leadership style. I realized that passion may charm the ears, but leadership must win through actions and integrity. For many years, whenever I saw a business celebrity talking passionately about leadership and success, I often pulled back and raised doubts in my mind.
My second story is pretty recent and on a much smaller scale. It was in a Toastmasters club where the charm of public speaking and leadership skills converge. A new club member impressed us all with an impeccable gift of public speaking and a bunch of certifications like “Motivational Speaker” and “Life Coach”. In the new officer election, he won the club presidency. His campaign speeches were full of charisma. Unfortunately, though, while leading the club he demonstrated some qualities that quite contradicted his eloquence behind the lectern. I observed a pattern of inactivity in his daily work and active obstruction in his leadership that only intended to show his influence. Fortunately, it’s a non-profit organization we can manage to work around him.
Then his leadership showcase peaked at a sudden turn. He disappeared before his presidency was over. No clues, no emails, whatsoever. We found out later through his social media that he’d already moved out of the state.
I can’t get my head around between the freaky behavior and the charismatic public speaker that I knew. It adds a new layer to my doubt about the leadership style. Does the art of public speaking guarantee effective leadership?
Identifying one’s leadership style is not just a journey toward success; it’s a path of self-discovery. In my career, I lean to develop a leadership style that connects inspiration with grounded action. Get the job done first, respect the fundamentals. It might show a lack of creativity and passion, to begin with. But over time I would win respect and empower others. In this sense, we don’t need a ton of creativity and ambition in leadership.
Do the work, then inspire. Not the other way around.
So, fret not, Bill Gates. You can rest assured that there are people who don’t want to become you. Or there are people who are willing to help you become Bill Gates — again, the one before the Epstein debacle.
