For Gates, his parents encouraged him to think independently and provided a values system that encouraged hard work, ethics, consideration for others and determination. Gates leveraged this framework to become a legend based on the expert knowledge he pursued and collected, the emotional intelligence he developed, the passion he developed for industries and communities, the visionary ideas he proposed and executed on, the social network he created to mentor and exchange with others and the personal power he passed onto others.
His leadership style is often described as transformational and serves as a model for many of today’s entrepreneurs who are just as determined, focused and passionate about what they are doing. Gates provides an excellent model of how transformational qualities can help create a successful leader, but he also proves that the individual human spirit that all makes us unique and the influence of parents and mentors also play a critical role in creating the legends.