How influential has he been in business terms?
One of the key messages that I learnt from my father was to adopt a win-win formula. He always preached the importance of not seeing business as a question of winning – that only means somebody has to lose. When you’re making decisions, it’s just as important to look at the other party’s position. Seeing things exclusively from one’s own perspective leads to short-term decisions. There needs to be a longer-term relationship. 16. This accounts for your emphasis on corporate responsibility, but is this being taken on by business? There has been a real shift. What’s particularly fascinating is that people are taking the issues on board with ownership. I don’t just write cheques to charities. I want physical projects and the responsibility for their delivery. When you take something on yourself – building a school, perhaps – the sense of satisfaction is far higher. Bill Gates is managing large-scale projects as a business. There are very clear strategies, deliverables, and he’s looking for
