Steve & Bill
Who is the better man, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?
The question may be as juvenile as asking children which parent they prefer. The question could be unfair to Gates because he is now no longer in the computing business, while Jobs remains a burning hot issue with his series of hit i-items.
Also handicapping Gates is the fact that his contribution to the information technology revolution was related more to a fundamental change in the way the computer was used in everyday life. Remember the PC revolution.
Granted, Jobs’ ongoing iPhone experiment has the potential to be equal in impact to that of Gates. Interestingly, both share Schumacher’s axiom of “small is beautiful.”
Gates’ PC revolution was about reducing the size of computers. Jobs’ revolution goes further in a way, looking to make computers mobile and fit in your pocket.
Besides, the two men have a lot in common.
Both were born in 1955 and are college dropouts ― Jobs from Reed University and Gates from Harvard. They have made it this far by the sheer power of their ingenuity and entrepreneurship that flowered on the fertile soil provided by the heyday of U.S. venture culture, where the small but good could thrive together with the big and mean.
This is said in comparison with other countries where big businesses prey on startups for their original technology and claim it as theirs, nipping the small businesses’ ingenuity in the bud.
Of course, Gates and Jobs have both had their share of troubles.
Gates’ MS has been under fire for its predatory business practices aimed at suppressing competition. MS in the post-Gates day is still plagued by brushes with the anti-competition law globally.
Jobs’ Apple is also in a hot spot over allegations that the American IT firm has marketed the iPhone, although it knew about the flaws in advance. Still, that didn’t stop the long lines of people forming in hopes of being first to grab hold of what is now an iconic status symbol.
Gates was brought up in a wealthier family than Jobs.
Gates’ father was a lawyer and his mother was also an active member in the business community.
In contrast, Jobs’ father is Syrian and was later adopted. He is noted for his temper and dictatorial management style, which caused a boardroom coup against him. He was fired by his own board.
Jobs has been lionized for his inventiveness. The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman once observed that the United States could maintain its globally leading position, if it could produce more men like Jobs.
Gates in his high-flying business days didn’t have the rock-star status of Jobs but his ingenuity was cherished and envied by so many, although it is apparent that the software giant he created is slipping. It may not be entirely Steve Ballmer’s fault. Rather, MS is reaching the end of a short life expectancy of a tech firm.
All told, the two are big contributors to the high-tech convenient life we enjoy.
Thus, my question of preference between the two begs the real question. For all their flaws and faults, Steve and Bill are as good as any revolutionary leader can be; meaning any contest between the two is bound to end in a draw.
There are a couple points that Jobs can learn from Gates, who has already had his time at the top.
Gates, still chairman of Microsoft, is a devoted philanthropist running the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Interestingly, the way the foundation is operated resembles Gates’ business model during the early days of Microsoft.
He brings transparency to how the charity is being run, for instance enabling donors to check how their donations are being used. But my point is not Gates’ ingenuity in charity operations, but that Jobs could be better off following in the footsteps of his compatriot.
So far, Jobs remains enigmatic, rarely allowing the public a chance to get to know him. Perhaps, the best chance to catch a glimpse of Steve the genius comes when he takes the stage at Macworld or Worldwide Developers Conferences.
Obviously, he does like to be in the spotlight, considering the way he has bloomed into a full-fledged performer, attired in his pairing of snug jeans and turtlenecks. Some speculate that he shuns public occasions as part of a marketing strategy, while others believe that he is afraid to inadvertently show his rough edge and be embarrassed about it.
But at the age of 55, and as a former cancer patient, he lives on borrowed time, just like anybody else. It is time for him to demystify himself and come closer to the public. Many iPhone holders are so appreciative of his products that they want to know more about the creator. After all, if the world can produce more Jobs, we need him to reveal his true self. I am inviting him to visit Seoul for the G20 summits in November so he can get together with leaders of the global community to talk more about him.
Q1) Who do you think the better man is, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? Why do you think so/
Q2) What do you know about Bill Gates?
Q3) What do you know about Steve Jobs/
Q4) Do you think both are good leaders of companies?
Q5) Do you know any good role model for an excelent leader?
Q6) Do you want be a good leader or follower? Why do you think so?
Q7) Can one man change the world or society? share your reasons together.