[Brielle Buckler]

Read the background story of each of these 3 successful entrepreneurs. Analyze, compare, contrast these 3 entrepreneurs backgrounds and personal characteristics.

• Biography of Bill Gates
• History of Frederick W. Smith
• History of Mrs. Field’s

What do they have in common? What stands out about these individuals? What do you notice that is different? Write a response below explaining commonalities and differences.

Given what you’ve learned about each of these entrepreneurs: do you think leaders are born or made? Why?

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In order to receive full credit for this assignment, you must first post your own response to the question(s) above by Friday, November 3 at 11:59pm ET. You then must comment meaningfully on at least two classmates’ posts by Sunday, November 5 at 11:59pm ET.

This assignment is worth a total of ten (10) points — 6 possible points for your original post, and up to 2 points for each of the two responses to your classmates’ posts. Please reference our Discussion Rubric for more information, and to this guide from MSSU to learn more about what it means to respond meaningfully to a classmates’ post.

• This topic was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Republish

[Ryan Natiello]

Bill Gates, Fredrick W. Smith, and Mrs. Field’s are all without a doubt sucssesful people. They all have things in common and things that are different with their up bringing and career. Some things they all have in common is that they all have running businesses and are all considered Entrepreneurs. All three left a big impact on there respective industries; Mrs. Fields for her A one cookies, Fredrick W. Smith with his over night delivery and supply management, and Bill Gates changed the web as a whole with Microsoft, which is connected to even the pc you buy. Some differences on the other hand is of course there chosen businesses; there businesses are very different from each other. One has to do with computers, one with mail, and one with cookies which can maybe relate to their childhood, Basically the clear main difference is the industries they ended up in. Personally I think leaders are definitely made rather than being born, this is because being a leader comes from having experience in a multitude of things. Like having social skills which is very important for being a leader because you will have to command people what to do and talk to other leaders; if you don’t have the social skills to do so and the confidence than people will not respect you or listen to you. Another skill is organization, if you are bad at organizing and time management then how will you run a business? All these things you have to learn with experience, no one just starts out as a leader unless you’re rich. I mean of course there’s people that are just naturally more capable than others but there is always room to learn.

Work cited:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-W-Smith

https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2012/11/20/how-to-build-a-multimillion-dollar-company-the-story-of-mrs-fields-cookies/?sh=64c6c822467e

https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/bill-gates

[Annmaria P]

Hi Ryan,

 

I enjoyed reading your response on the topic. I liked how you went into detail about certain characteristics that are needed to be a good leader. The importance of social skills and confidence are great skills to acquire when considering leadership. I never considered confidence but you’re 100% right. You can’t be a good leader if you don’t have the confidence in what you’re doing or saying.

[thomas mahoney]

I think this was a great response to this topic. I liked how you mentioned specific leadership skills and how important they are to becoming a great leader or entrepreneur. This post was very informational.

[Tania Maree]

Hey Ryan

I like that you mentioned the soft skills that being a leader requires – I think that they are skills that are often overlooked. In my opinion, these skills can often be more important than technical skills. One of my first bosses used to say that you can always teach someone how to complete a task, but you can’t teach attitude and it’s a phrase that has stuck with me for years.

[Brielle Buckler]

I love this sentiment, Tania Maree — and it’s correct in my experience. Anyone can be trained on skills to do a job (within reason) but it’s difficult to train someone to be more personable or a better negotiator.

[Brandon Becerril]

After reading on the three entrepreneurs and their rise to prominence there are some shared similarities but also some differences.  It seems that to be a good entrepreneur you need to have a plan and a vision and a willingness and drive to see your dream come to fruition.  Each of the three had well laid plans but were willing to adapt and work on their craft when tough times came.  What’s different between them is their upbringings, not all successful people come from successful families like Debbi Fields.  She had the desire to build something but didn’t have that same foundation as other successful business people. Leaders are both born and made, there are certain qualities that people are born with that makes them able to succeed in the business world but those qualities can be learned like in Debbie Fields case where she was bullied into wanting to become successful.  But deep down Debbie did have the qualities like quick thinking, work ethic, and leadership skills that made her successful.

[gianna]

Hi Brandon I agree with you Debbie did in fact have great qualities that benefited her to be an entrepreneur. It helped her work ethic a lot because she just knew how to be a great leader. She didn’t come from money like the other two so it makes me happy that she had a great outcome.

[Julian Watson]

Hey i agree with your response especially your first few lines where you talked about having the motivation and ambition to make your dreams come true i feel that in this life 99 percent of the time things aren’t handed to you and you have to get up and work for what you want

[Christopher Ochoa]

Hello Brandon, I also agree with your response. When you stated that if you want to be a good entrepreneur, you need to have a plan and a vision which I agree because without a plan and vision, you won’t be able to succeed and have a good business. You also need to overcome obstacles and challenges if you want to be a good entrepreneur.

[Brielle Buckler]

Is being an entrepreneur the only way to be considered a leader, though? Can you be a leader in your family, friend group, or at work, even if you’re not the boss?

[Annmaria P]

Bill Gates, Frederick W. Smith, and Debbi Fields are prominent figures in business, but they have distinct backgrounds and contributions. It was interesting to read about the journey of these three leaders and understand just how established all they have today. Bill’s SAT test scores blew me out the water, I knew he showed signs of strong academic abilities but had no idea to what measure. Fredrick is truly a risk connoisseur, to be in a financial bind with your company and take the risk to gamble to gain capital is honestly only something you’d witness in a movie. Debbi’s reaction to that gentleman correcting her speech was inspiring, it showed that you can change your state at any moment with the right motivators and steps.

All three of these people are business owners who either started their own companies or had a major impact on the development of existing ones. Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft, Fredrick Smith founded FedEx and Debbi Fields founded Mrs. Fields. In their various fields, they have had outstanding success. FedEx is one of the major international couriers and transportation companies used today, Microsoft rose to prominence as a software corporation dominating the tech industry, and Mrs. Fields Cookies is a well-known bakery brand found in almost every major supermarket.

Although they may share the success in dominating their industries in common, they still have many distinctions between them. Bill and Fredrick were raised in a most financially established household, they had ample resources and opportunities, Debbi on the other hand grew up in a low-class home that didn’t always make ends meet.  The industries that these leaders run in are very different. Bill is best known for his work in technology, while Fredrick focuses on logistics and shipping and Debbi tackles the food and retail industry. When it comes to philanthropy Bill stands out from the group. His enormous contributions to society through many organizations but mainly the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which is where Bill now dedicates most of his time after stepping down from his fulltime role. Fredrick and Debbi contribute to philanthropy but not in scale at which Bill does.

In some cases, you can argue that leaders are born, simply just for the fact that environments can molds people. Throughout history, we repeatedly see proof that leaders come from leaders. From the Washington family to the Rothschilds it’s no doubt that your environment can catapult your success in this world. A simple argument to that is resources. When you come from a successful environment, you have more resources that will allow you to develop the successful leadership skills you need. On the contrary, nurture is also a big influencer when it comes to creating leaders. The state at which you were born may not necessarily be the place you wound up in your adult life. This is because the same way successful environments produce successful people, negative environments can influence people to want and do better for themselves. Thus, placing themselves in the perils of people that are aligned with the success at which they want. Things like an environmental change, obtaining a certificate or degree, or training courses can help develop a person into a leader. Some people believe that leadership qualities are innate, while others argue that leadership can be developed through learning and experience. I believe it is a combination of both because some people naturally have certain leadership qualities, but leadership skills can also be developed and improved over time.

[thomas mahoney]

This post was very informational and worded great! I like how you argued both sides of the question: Are leaders born or made? You went into alot of depth like mentioning points about a certain home environment at a young age and how it can effect your ability to become a leader. I agree with you that it can be a combination of both.

[Mark Robinson]

This as a very insightful response, very detailed and well thought out. I love how you highlighted that upbringing and the environment of which a person is brought up in can be a major factor in molding them into a leader. Even though I more so feel like leaders are made through the perseverance and resilience of challenges and constant change, I can see how it can be a combination of both.

[Ryan Natiello]

Hello Annmaria, Good work and a lot of good information, I see you decided to argue both sides and give a lot of info on how leaders are born and made. In my opinion I think it is impossible for leaders to be born because you still have to live the life experience to gain the attributes of becoming a leader.

[Tanisha]

Hi Annmaria, this is a really well written response I really like how you brought out that a persons upbringing and the surroundings in which they are raised can play a significant  role in shaping them into a leader.

[thomas mahoney]

Bill Gates, Fredrick Smith, and Debbi Fields are all clear examples of extremely successful entrepreneurs that changed the world with their bright ideas and strong intuition. All three of these people had a vision that they brought to life through many trials and tribulations. Their entrepreneural impact on the world will never go unrecognized, especially Bill Gates who changed the way the internet is used with the invention of Microsoft and Fredrick Smith with FedEx, the main form of shipping and handling used in the United States. Some differences that can be noted within these individuals is the obvious business route that was chosen as well as the scale of their success and impact. The field of work in which these individuals started with are also different, along with the kind of family/financial situation they experienced at a younger age. I think that leaders are usually made, however certain circumstances can make it easier for some to reach a leadership position. Common skills and qualities of a leader are found within all three of these entrepreneurs and that is what led them to reach their prestigious business positions they stand in today.

[Jada Hunter]

I agree with you completely and yes, the obvious answer us leaders are made but your perspective on circumstances making you a leader does really determine yourself a leader too I’m glad to have another view challenging my narrow mind.

[Christopher Ochoa]

Hello Thomas, I agree with your response especially when you said that Bill Gates, Fredrick Smith, and Debbi Fields are clear examples of extremely successful entrepreneurs and that all three of them had a vision to be successful. I also agree that these entrepreneurs share many common skills and qualites such as visions, passion, and resilience.

[Annmaria P]

Hi Thomas,

 

I totally like your approach on the topic on whether leaders are born or made. I see have done some more research after reading your post and I see a lot of great examples of molding a leader. Also there visions were a grey comparison; they all had a great/ vision and stopped at nothing to achieve that vision. Great breakdown on the topic.

[Luis Navarrete]

Hello Thomas,
I like your thoughts on the topic, i agree with you that Bill Gates, Fredrick Smith, and Debbi Fields are remarkable entrepreneurs. They all share a common trait which is leadership. Their leadership skills played a crucial role in their success and continue to inspire many. Their contributions have significantly shaped the world, and their stories serve as a testament to the power of perseverance and innovation.

[Julian Watson]

Though they all three are entrepreneurs, they are obviously different from one another as well. They all exhibit the tenacity, foresight, competitiveness, and risk-taking that enabled them to create incredibly successful businesses, pointing to natural skills or personality qualities that made them more likely to succeed as entrepreneurs. But as their diverse upbringings, strategies, and fields demonstrate, they also developed specific leadership skills via formal and informal education, formative experiences, and conscious attempts to get better. These biographies show how great leaders blend innate abilities with actively cultivated skills to foster innovation and progress, even when leadership potential may be somewhat innate. Showing that leaders can both be born and made its a combination of both it all depends on your life and how you decide to live it.

[gianna]

Hi Julian I completely agree when you stated how leaders can be both born and made because it depends on how you decide to live it. I didn’t write this in my post because I didn’t even view it in this way but it absolutely makes sense. Everyone is given the choice to do what they want with their life but it is just up to them to start living it in the way they want.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by gianna.

[Ryan Natiello]

Hello Julian, I semi agree with what you said “leaders can be both born and made” because in a way if you say it depends on how you live your life you still have to do that transformation into a leader by living your life and gaining it.

[Tanisha]

Hi Julian I agree with you that leaders are both born and made because they were born with the talents naturally gifted with the leadership skills and thorough out their life they put their hard work and passion into the things they really want to pursue.

[Brielle Buckler]

What do you think the percentage split is, Tanisha? Do you think it’s 50/50?

[gianna]

What Bill Gates, Fredrick W. Smith, and Mrs. Field’s all have in common is that they all three are great at running business, they make smart business moves, they are entrepreneurs and they are very hard working. The differences all three have is how they all achieved their goals differently like different strategic plans. Gates dropped out of Harvard to follow his dreams to pursue his business, Microsoft, with partner Allen. Smith  studied economics at Yale University, where he wrote a paper about overnight delivery services and became the Founder of Fedex. Mrs. Fields is 1 out of 5 children; her father was a welder for the Navy and her mother stayed home raising all the kids.

I believe that leaders are made. I say this because it can all depend on what family you were born into; whether you believe money can be an important factor or not (i don’t). Where you grew up; I believe the environment you grow up in molds your life choices as in like what you want to be when you grow up. What support system you have around you; if people are supporting you like giving words of encouragement. Lastly, what you want your goals to be later in life; do you want to stay at the same stage you are in mentally or money wise or do you want better for yourself.

 

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by gianna.

[Mark Robinson]

Bill Gates, Frederick W. Smith, and Debbi Fields notable entrepreneurs who founded successful companies. They share the commonality of dropping out of college to pursue their business ventures. Gates dropped out of Harvard to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen. Frederick Smith, after studying at Yale, went on to create Federal Express. Debbi Fields founded Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery. Later renamed, franchised, then sold Mrs. Field’s Cookies. They all had a strong vision for their companies and worked relentlessly to achieve their goals.

One key difference is their educational backgrounds and upbringing.  Bill Gates came from a background of privilege, with access to resources and opportunities. Frederick W. Smith did have successful businessman father but had health challenges as a child. Gates enrolled in Harvard, while Smith studied economics at Yale and also served in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War. Mrs. Fields grew up in a large family and her father only made $15,000 a year, while her mother stayed home to raise her and her siblings. Despite these differences, both achieved great success in the business world, albeit in different industries.

After reading the background stories of these prominent entrepreneurs, I believe that leaders are made. Effective leadership is not solely dependent on innate qualities but also on continuous learning and adaptation. The best leaders embrace change, view it as an opportunity for growth, and are driven by curiosity. Leadership development and the acquisition of skills are crucial for anyone aspiring to lead, and it’s not limited to a select few. Leadership is a journey of growth and development, not something exclusive to those born with it.

[Tania Maree]

Hey Mark

I agree with you on your point about the best leaders being those who embrace change. I think that it’s very important to be flexible when in leadership positions, and to both trust and empower the people that you’ve chosen to employ and work with to make decisions. I believe that not doing this and being too rigid can hurt companies and organizations in the long run.

[Jada Hunter]

The similarities between Bil Gates,Mrs.Fields,and Fredrick Smith other than them being super successful is that no matter what they kept preserving through the failures and doubts they had from other people. With bill he kept preserving even after he got separated from his friend. The same goes for Mrs. fields and Fredrick Mrs. fields got doubt from bankers while Fredrick was losing money but just like bill, they both kept preserving and didn’t lose determination or faith for their business. However, they are as different as well is the path they chose to get to success bill had to work under people and when his idea formed, he had to fight for his rights back from Microsoft. While Fredrick got to found fed ex by being involved with planes while during his military time inspiring him to make an advanced delivery truck. Also went her route by getting loans from the banks and started to find the business because of her desire to be somebody. What makes them standout in my opinion is the fact they all had pushed themselves past others doubts and looked ahead. After reding about these entrepreneurs i earned that leaders are made. I say this because you can’t be born to lead you have to go through obstacles to make yourself a leader. Also, you have to be in a environment such as your parents’ ideals or lessons you receive to make you a leader.

[Tania Maree]

After reading all three entrepreneurs’ biographies, the number one aspect of their stories that I noticed is that they all founded their companies in the 1970s and that the two men came from financially well-off families. I think the decade in which they founded their companies is important to take into consideration because there was less competition in their respective fields during that time (as opposed to the 90s-present day). Based on their biographies, I think Debbi encountered the most barriers on her road to success, but her persistence and problem-solving mindset seemed to be the key to keeping her business afloat. Of course, Bill and Frederick also encountered road bumps, but they also had much more financial leverage that made their companies able to weather difficulties more smoothly.
I believe that leaders are both born and made, especially when taking into consideration that being in leadership positions (access to power) does not always equate to having the qualities of an effective leader (character). There are plenty of people who are in leadership positions because of the families they were born into or their connections, and there are just as many people who have displayed the characteristics associated with leadership their entire lives (even if they don’t necessarily hold a position of power). I think, given the right conditions, anyone is capable of being a leader.

[Marianela]

I like how you mentioned the importance of when they started their businesses. Apart from all of their differences, the time period and lack of competition( compared to current day) was definitely something they had in common that played a huge role in their success. I agree that leaders are both born and made.

[Tanisha]

After reading about the three entrepreneur and their different strategies for becoming successful the common thing about Bill Gates, Fredrick W Smith., and Mrs fields is that they all are incredibly hardworking and passionate about their business who knows how to run their companies successfully. The difference between all three of them is that they each used a different approach and had an individual strategic plan to accomplish their goals. Gates dropped out of Harvard and pursued with entrepreneurial goals and launch Microsoft with partner Allen, Smith found FedEx after writing a paper on overnight delivery services while he was an economic student at Yale University. Mrs fields came from hardworking family her mother raised 5 kids while her father worked as welder for the navy she worked hard from the age of 13 and took out a loan from the bank to open her first shop.

I think that leaders are both born and made because you grow your leadership skills with through trail and error to become the person you are and the leader you want to be, you are born with the bravery and determination characterize a leader.

 

[Sheldon Clark]

Bill Gates, Frederick Smith, and Debbi Fields are all without a doubt extremely successful entrepreneurs, who share similarities in competitive spirit but a slight difference in background. However, despite the differences in their stories, they are all owners of household name businesses. Straight away, I noticed that Fred Smith and Bill Gates had very similar childhoods as far as having both come from a well-off family, and also both exceling in grade school and later furthering their education in Ivy League institutions. Bill Gates was a Harvard drop-out whose mother had ties to IBM, and Frederick’s father ran a successful company, which one can assume had some influence on Frederick being able to attend the prestigious Yale University. In the 1970’s Bill was still in college while Frederick Smith was making a name for himself in the military, as a decorated veteran in the Vietnam Era. Debbi Fields on the other hand had very limited education, and financial resources. She grew up in a lower-class blue-collar family, with her view on real wealth being having an abundance of family, friends, and doing what you love. In her early adult years, she was a stay-at-home mom, versus Gates and Smith both having their hands in business practice before their early 30’s.

 

All three of these business tycoons built a company based off of doing something that piqued their interest at an early age. Debbi had a love for making cookies by age 13, Bill made his first $20,000 from developing software programs by age 15, and Frederick was learning to fly planes as a teenager which he later incorporated into his mail company. All of them faced adversities starting out, and I found it especially interesting that Fred W. Smith was able to keep his company afloat playing blackjack in Vegas. I also found it intriguing that Bill Gates was able to overcome so many hurdles in his early years facing as many lawsuits as he did. In my opinion, Debbi Fields by far had the most heartwarming tale of success because she was an underdog. Having her own husband betting against her couldn’t have been easy, yet she prevailed and became successful through diligence and determination.

It is hard to say whether leaders are born or made. I think that call should be made on case-by-case basis, because everyone’s situation starting out is different. For instance, I believe in Debbi Field’s case she was a born leader. Despite not having well connected parents, or an Ivy League education, she managed to build a reputation that helped her establish an empire. I think in Bill Gates and Fred Simth’s situation, my opinion sort of differs. While they may have been born with leadership qualities, in most cases it isn’t about what you know but who you know. Both men are extremely decorated and talented in their own right, but connections definitely contributed to the successes they achieved. I think it’s fair to say that they were made leaders to an extent, Ed Roberts having called Bill Gates spoiled kind of backs that statement further. When I think of leaders in terms of being born or made, I believe that someone who is born to do something will achieve what they are destined to regardless of circumstances. All in all, the three of them were born with some sort of natural ability to lead, otherwise I don’t think they would be where they are today.

 

 

[Marianela]

I really enjoyed your logic behind what constitutes one being born a leader. I would have thought Debbi Field was made a leader through her hard work and perseverance regardless of the lack of support her family gave, and her lack of know-how. However, I like how you said you believe that someone who is born to do something will achieve it. I agree with that and I am now thinking that Debbi possessed the character traits necessary for her success long before she obtained said success.

[Marianela]

Bill Gates, Frederick W. Smith and Mrs. Field were all entrepreneurs from a very young age. They had drive and worked hard to turn their ideas into extremely successful businesses. In order to do this, they took many risks to ensure growth and persisted regardless of the setbacks they faced. Bill Gates would go as far as announcing products that did not exist(yet) to sabotage his competition.

FedEx, Debbi Fields and Microsoft differ greatly in regards to their industries, but their founders also had unique stories. Debbi Fields had a middle class upbringing, no familial support for her business, and experienced financial struggles. Frederick W. Smith came from money, had a military background and was able to start his business with his inheritance, and Bill Gates came from a privileged family and even dropped out of Harvard to start his company.

I believe leaders are both born and made.Some people are born into families that normalize business ownership and encourage their children to take risks because they have the means to start again. This education is very valuable early on and can be a great advantage. I also believe that economic and sociopolitical climates can have a huge effect on businesses, and so timing matters. However, I strongly believe that a lot of successful entrepreneurs are inarguably persistent, hardworking and and adaptive. They either possess characteristics or build habits that help them grow in their business careers and learn to take risks that pay off monumentally.

[Mark Robinson]

Hi Marianela, this was a great response, I love how you highlighted how economic and sociopolitical climates can have a huge effect on businesses.  I agree that leaders can be both born and made given the circumstances, they would still need to be persistent and overcome life challenges.

[Sheldon Clark]

Hi Marianela, this was a very thorough and well-structured response. I fancy how you brought up that Bill, Debbi and Frederick were risk takers, and the fact that Bill Gates would bring up products that didn’t exist to thwart competition. Your choice in words was also very effective, 10/10 discussion response.

[Christopher Ochoa]

After reading the 3 background story of Bill Gates, Frederick Smith, and Debbi Field, I know that all three of them have their own successful business. Even thought all three of them are hard working entrepreneurs, they all have some differences. Both Bill Gates and Frederick Smith attend University while Debbi Field didn’t graduate college. Bill Gates actually dropped out while Frederick Smith did graduate.  All three entrepreneur had a vision and innovative ideas – software, shipping, and baking. Bill Gates founded Microsoft, Frederick Smith is the founder of FedEx, and Debbi Fields is the founder of Mrs. Fields Bakeries. They were showing nonstop determination in pursuing their goals and overcoming a lot of challenges. Each of these entrepreneurs emphasize the importances of understanding their customers needs and to providing excellent services and products. I honestly think leaders are both born and made because some people can have can have qualities like vision, determination, and resilience which can be considered as traits that they are ‘born” with. Other people don’t have these traits because they don’t probably think to much about money and they make different life choices instead. But they can also seek new experiences and leaning opportunities which can be considered as “made”

[Sheldon Clark]

Hi Christopher, you made some very valid points in your discussion post, and I like how you pointed out some of the characteristics of a leader. I agree 100% that it’s a mix of leaders being born and made. Vision, determination and resilience are the key to being successful, I couldn’t have said it any better.  You really nailed your response, great job.

 

[Jada Hunter]

I absolutely love your answer on if leaders are born or made because it is truly a mix and no consistent path to becoming a leader other than being consistent and resilient which is what all three of them did.

[Luis Navarrete]

Hello Christopher,
Your post provides a thoughtful analysis of the journeys of Bill Gates, Frederick Smith, and Debbi Fields. Despite their different educational backgrounds and fields of work, their shared traits of vision, determination, and customer focus led them to success. Your perspective on leadership being both innate and cultivated is intriguing. It highlights the balance between natural traits and learned skills in shaping successful entrepreneurs.

[Author]

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