Bill Gates's Executive Style Inspires a Cult Following

Bill Gates: "REDMOND, Wash. During Naveen Jain's seven years as a Microsoft Corp. executive, he got a front-row demonstration of how Bill Gates affected the software company he co-founded, ran and controlled.
Gates was obsessed by work, and so were his employees. He wasn't interested in money, and neither were they. He would do anything to beat out a competitor, and they would too. Employees feared but mostly revered him. 'Face time with Bill' was prepared for endlessly, sweated over and later bragged about.
Jain learned a crucial lesson, one that has defined the computer world's perception of Gates for more than a decade: A high-tech executive must have the charisma of a cult leader.
'Especially in the beginning, when you're starting a company, you have nothing to offer other than yourself, your vision and passion,' said Jain, who went on to found the Internet services company InfoSpace Inc. 'People in high tech can get 20 job offers in a day. Why would they stay with you unless they believe in you absolutely?'"