Bill Gates gave his final keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Newsweek provided this quote about Gates,
Now, of course, after 11 appearances—eight on the eve of the show's formal opening—the Bill Gates keynote is a fixture here. Someone was quoted last week as saying that he's like the pope of the industry—which would make his regular Sunday-night presentation the benediction that blesses the orgy of commerce to follow. But this year's appearance marks an ending. Gates is leaving his full-time work at Microsoft this summer, and 2008 will be the last time he kicks off CES.
The pope reference reminded me of what I thought the moment that I met Bill Gates in the summer of 1997. I was software test engineer intern with the Microsoft Exchange Server product group and I had the opportunity to meet Gates at his home on Lake Washington. I clearly remember him walking down a path toward us (the interns) and talking for 15 minutes about technology, the future of Microsoft and the future of the personal computer industry. I was in awe.
I couldn't help but think then that I was in the presence of greatness. In an odd way, I could somehow identify with the disciples who listened to Jesus by the Sea of Galilee as he talked with authority about the kingdom of God - a new in-breaking reality that would change everything.
Gates' teaching by Lake Washington had a parallel feel even though he was sharing about a completely different kind of kingdom.
What are the marks of a leader who can speak with authority on subjects that can truly change everything?
1 comment:
To answer your question: complete faith.
On a side note, I never really knew how much of a geek you were. It's funny, but you remind me a lot of my boss back at Bel Air, he's a Seattle guy (now down in Texas). But he was always a Mac guy, so a REAL geek!
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