8.2: Introduction
- What is the strategic management process?
- What is the difference between a firm’s vision and its mission?
- Why is strategic analysis important to strategy formulation?
- What are strategic objectives, levels of strategy, and a grand strategy? How are they related?
- How and why do managers plan? Why are goals important in the planning process?
- How and why do managers evaluate the effectiveness of strategic plans?
Strategic Leadership-Bill Gates
In 1975, Gates co-founded Microsoft, a company that would revolutionize the tech industry. The early days of Microsoft were marked by a strong vision for personal computing. At the time, Gates had a huge vision believing computers would become a valuable tool in every home and office. In 1987, the year after Microsoft went public, 31-year-old Gates became the world’s youngest billionaire. That year, Microsoft’s sales topped more than $1 million (Sullivan, 2024)
Microsoft continued to grow through the years. In 1985, the company went on to license its MS-DOS operating system to IBM for its first personal computer. The company made $61 million by releasing this new operating system. By the late 1980s, Microsoft had become the world’s largest personal computer software company. In 1995, Windows 95 made its debut, 7 million copies of the new product were sold in the first five weeks. Microsoft continued to be an innovative company; adapting to technology and changing times. For example in 1995, Microsoft introduced its web browser, Internet Explorer (Sullivan, 2024)
Gates led Microsoft to invest in future tech trends preparing Microsoft for future success. This kept Microsoft relevant and competitive in the fast-paced tech industry. By focusing on the future, Gates ensured that Microsoft would not react to the market but actively shape it. Gates’ strategic leadership was key to Microsoft’s ability to innovate and lead in the industry (Rizvi, 2024).
Bill Gates At Concordia University
References
Rizvi, H. (2024, March 15). Bill Gates Leadership Style: Transforming Visions into Reality - Hidayat Rizvi. Hidayat Rizvi. https://hidayatrizvi.com/bill-gates-...oogle_vignette
Sullivan, M. (2024, April 1). Microsoft founded. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-...rosoft-founded