Consulting the Archives...
Generating fresh insights specifically for this topic.
This may take a moment.
Generating fresh insights specifically for this topic.
This may take a moment.
Bill Gates's father once asked him and Warren Buffett to write down the single most important factor in their success. Both wrote the same word: Focus. Gates's ability to lock in on a goal is legendary. During Microsoft's early years, he never took a vacation and remembered every employee's license plate number to track their hours. While his management style has softened, his intensity hasn't. He teaches that you can do anything, but you can't do everything. To achieve something great, you must be willing to cut out distractions and obsess over a single objective for decades.
"Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you, because bad news is a headline, and gradual improvement is not."
"You have to have a certain amount of intensity to get things done."
"Effective philanthropy requires a lot of time and creativity – the same kind of focus and skills that building a business requires."
"We've got to put a lot of money into this if we want to get the results."
"You can't achieve anything without focus. You have to decide what to ignore to be efficient."
"Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."
"My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things."
"Effective philanthropy requires a lot of the same discipline, passion, and focus as a business."
Seeing how Bill Gates approaches Focus helps you apply the idea with more precision.
Pick one quote to guide a decision today, then return for deeper perspective.
Search More
Jump to another topic, author, or pillar without leaving the archive.
"Use this collection whenever you need Bill Gates's lens on Focus."