Empowering Others When Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975, his vision seemed radical: a computer running Microsoft software in every home. Today, Gates is one of the wealthiest men in the world. Gates found success as a leader who values and supports others’ contributions. He said, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others” (quoted in Childress & Senn, 1995). Shown here visiting with slum dwellers in Danapur, India, Gates and his wife, Melinda, have extended this humble leadership style into a vast philanthropic mission “guided by the belief that every life has equal value” (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2015). The Gates Foundation has supported grantees with more than $33 billion as it seeks to reduce poverty, enhance health care, and increase access to education.

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