Leadership tips from Bill Gates

Some 12 years ago Bill Gates wrote a book Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy. To say it was influential at the time is an understatement.

I think the leadership tips he gave in it are still valid today. Here they are:

1. Take two “retreats” every year.

“Leave your office to develop long-range strategies.” Every leader needs to stand back from the day-to-day activities of the organization and take long hard look – long (forwards and back) and wide – what else is going on in the wider world, right now. Then it may be time to refresh the vision and refocus the organization

2. Read books on other topics.

“Read books on topics that don’t pertain strictly to your business or industry. It’s the best way to maintain a broad perspective.” Leaders need an open mind. I wrote about that here recently. Open Minds come up with new, innovative, solutions and new destinations – open your mind by reading books outside your immediate field of interest! You’ll be surprised where it might lead to.

3. Identify problems early.

“Identify problems early by tracking “exceptions,” such as sales figures that suddenly sag for a particular product. Jump on them right away.” You should know your organization well enough to know what are the key indicators and you should be tracking them. Don’t just look at them – truly understand – ask questions till you do. Then act!

4. Stop at the end of each day.

“Stop at the end of each day to analyze how well you used it. If you wasted time on things you didn’t need to do, eliminate them tomorrow.” Take time out to reflect and act on your reflection. If you find you don’t have time to react then have a look at this link; there is a post and a poll today about managing your email in-box.

Also read the tips Bill Gates tips for students.

Taken from: wisewolftalking.com (article), Google (images).