Bill Gates was a workaholic, but he knew who to hire to solve problems: the lazy
Motivation is a key factor for Bill Gates, who admits to having been lazy in his childhood
Bill Gates is one of the most decisive figures in the evolution of technology in the last 40 years. Founding one of the most innovative companies of its time is only achieved through a lot of work. However, Bill Gates himself has stated that he can be a little lazy at times .
The technology magnate has been away from the first line of command at Microsoft for some time, and dedicates all his time and fortune to the philanthropic work carried out by the foundation he created with his ex-wife Melinda Gates . The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invests in projects that encourage the development, education and well-being of people in developing countries and at risk of social exclusion.
One of his recent hobbies related to raising awareness about these socially conscious investments has been creating the podcast Unconfuse Me in which he chats with personalities related to the scientific, teaching or business fields. In one of his last talks with San Khan (founder of Khan Academy) the magnate confessed that during his school years he was quite lazy .
With an IQ of 160, Bill Gates has always had a knack for mathematics . However, the millionaire himself confessed that he tried to do as little as possible in class.
In eighth grade, his teacher reproached him for his attitude: “How can you be so lazy? “You could be very good at this,” the teacher told him. “But we’re not doing anything interesting. I had the idea that the less effort you put in, the cooler you are.” Bill Gates states that this teacher was crucial in his life since thanks to him he changed his attitude towards learning since the teacher provided him with books and resources that encouraged his interest to continue moving forward and achieve a goal.
Put a lazy person to solve a problem
Bill Gates took his attitude towards effort to the extreme in the early years of Microsoft, when he was able to remember the license plates of the cars that were parked in front of the Microsoft offices and relate them to his employees to know, at a glance across the street, window, which employees were still in the office and who had already gone home.
In a scenario as competitive as technological innovation, it is surprising to come across a phrase attributed to Bill Gates: “I will always choose a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” . However, in it we can see the lazy and unmotivated Bill Gates represented in his school years.
In reality, it’s not that Bill Gates is excited about being surrounded by sloths , but rather the meaning of his statement aligns with what he learned from his eighth grade teacher: the important thing is to have a clear goal. If your goal is not to overwork, then you will find a way to get the job done as easily as possible.
The motivation to do something has been so important in Bill Gates’ career that even people around him have used it as a tool to prevent the technology magnate from neglecting his duties at the helm of Microsoft.