In a speech to graduates, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, admitted that he used to be obsessed with long workdays. This also led to the toxic habit of monitoring his employees’ breaks by remembering their license plates.
Who is it about? Bill Gates is still considered an influential figure in the IT industry today, more than 15 years after his departure from Microsoft. Software products like the Windows operating system and Office applications are irrevocably associated with his name.
As CEO and head of the software company Microsoft, Gates was not free from questionable behavior when it came to collaboration. His peculiarities also affected his employees. Some time ago, Bill Gates gave a speech to graduates, warning them against taking the same path he did in earlier years.
Bill Gates – a boss with an obsessive tendency for long hours of work without breaks
Why did this confession from the Microsoft founder come about? Bill Gates spoke at the Northern Arizona University graduation ceremony for the class of 2023. He also talked about his own work behavior at the beginning of his career. He set high standards for himself and the employees of Microsoft.
For him, free weekends and vacations were unimaginable. He developed an unhealthy relationship with daily work. Breaks and rest periods were out of the question for him. He made his employees feel this as well. Driven by productivity, he created a stressful work environment.
How did his obsession manifest towards the workforce? He wanted to know which employees took breaks from their jobs. To do this, he remembered the license plates of their cars. This way, he kept track of when each person arrived and left work. He also demonstrated another obsession when playing Minesweeper.
Paul Allen, the other co-founder of Microsoft, also noticed this behavior. Constant pressure on colleagues and a fast work pace were characteristic of everyday life at Microsoft at that time. Gates maintained this attitude towards work for a long time.
Why did Gates change his mind? As he grew older, he eventually realized that breaks from work are not a sign of laziness. He deviated from the formerly high work intensity. As a father, he ultimately realized that time away from work leads to better work results. He now regrets his past behavior and strictly advises young people against it.
Gates’ behavior is not an exception
Is Bill Gates alone with this behavior? No, this work attitude is not a trait found only in the former CEO of Microsoft. Other well-known figures in the IT industry have exhibited similar behaviors. The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was known for his ambition and will to perfection. He also made the staff at Apple feel this. A former employee was fired by him 5 times.
In today’s world, entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk is known for his questionable employee motivation methods. Through his actions at X, formerly Twitter, he alienated many colleagues who worked from home. He insisted that the entire staff return to the office. Those who didn’t like it were encouraged to leave the company.
Another CEO has to take his hat off now because Microsoft is taking over his company.
