Bill Gates used to memorize the license plate of every Microsoft
employee to keep tabs on them -- Paul Allen says Gates would 'prowl
the parking lot.' Is micromanagement really that bad?

Microsoft ranked second on Forbes' list of best employers in 2023. The
tech giant scored well in several areas, including talent development,
remote working options, parental leave benefits, diversity, work-life
balance and employee pride.

However, it's unlikely the company would have ranked anywhere on this
list back when co-founder Bill Gates was trying to establish the firm
in the mid- to late-'70s.

In those days, Gates had a reputation as a micromanager who would
memorize the license plates of every employee in order to keep tabs on
them.
...
...
Gates isn't the only tough boss in the billionaires'club. In fact,
some famous entrepreneurs claim it's the only way to run a company successfully.
...
...
A study published in the Asian Journal of Economics and Banking found
that controlling bosses reduced employee morale and productivity. In
fact, productivity suffered even if the micromanager somehow sustained
employee morale.
...
...
Buffett's management style has been described as hands-off and
laissez-faire. Business owners acquired by his company are allowed to
"operate on their own, without our supervising and monitoring them to
any degree," Buffett once said. "Most managers use the independence we
grant them magnificently, by maintaining an owner-oriented attitude."

In other words, Buffett is a master delegator who trusts his
associates to work independently with minimal oversight.

If the world's seventh-richest man doesn't need micromanagement to
succeed, it's probably not necessary for anyone else.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bill-gates-used-memorize-license-120000732.html

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