Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, was interviewed by an artificial intelligence called ChatGPT. During the interview, he was asked about his personality and leadership style in the early days of the company, and Gates admitted that he was very intense and did not believe in weekends or vacations. This intensity extended to other employees and did not promote the rest needed to perform well.
In the interview, Gates also talked about advice he had received from other important personalities, such as Warren Buffett and Richard Feynman. Buffett had told him that it was important to listen to what his friends thought and know their strengths, while Feynman had advised him that it was good to show his confusion and not pretend to know something if he didn’t, as this led to sloppy thinking and not being able to figure things out.
Gates admitted that in the early days of Microsoft, he had a narrow view of work style and how to talk to people, which made it difficult to work with some people who might have helped him. In short, although Gates is considered a successful leader in the technology industry, he admits that in his early days he made mistakes and that his intensity was not always effective in leading others.