This is the launch of the Windows 95 operating system by Microsoft executives. I presume in 1995. You might recognise one of the men, Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The others I'm not sure, except for one guy, the guy jumping up and down is former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer.
Steve Ballmer is one of the richest people in the world and is known for his antics on stage. Have a look at this video and you will see what I mean.
By the way, he is now the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. (National Basketball Asscociation. The number one basketball league in North America.) I can only imagine what he is like at a game. Actually, you can get an idea below.
You can't fault him for his enthusiasm.
Obviously, it takes more than jumping up and down and clapping your hands and stamping your feet to make a billion dollars. Obviously it takes intelligence (check), it takes timing (check - he lived on the same floor as Bill Gates at university), it takes passion (check, check, check). As you can see, he has passion in spades.
Two things I have got out of watching these videos over the last couple of days is:
1. Isn't it interesting in the first video the obvious difference between Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates. You can see Ballmer jumping up and down in the very extroverted way and Bill Gates dancing away but not looking very comfortable at all. He almost looks like he is thinking to himself, "what am I doing here?"
I think any good company needs that sort of yin and yang. Steve Ballmer is the extroverted guy who keeps everyone motivated while Bill Gates is the quiet introverted guy behind the scenes doing a lot of the work as well. I'm willing to bet as Microsoft grew and grew that Bill Gates probably didn't enjoy the limelight much. He knew that he had to do interviews and the like and be the face but I'm sure that he wasn't comfortable doing it.
This reminds me of the Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak partnership. Steve Jobs was the face of the company but without Steve Wozniak there wouldn't have been much of a product. Steve Jobs the more extroverted face of Apple. Steve Wozniak, the behind the scenes guy who created the product. What a great combination.
2. The second thing I got out of watching these videos was passion. He obviously loved working at Microsoft. I don't believe that you can pretend to show that can passion.
This video is his retirement speech from Microsoft and the tears look very real.
I learnt that when you go into something, go all in. Give it everything and who knows? You could get the rewards that Steve Ballmer has got. He work hard for those riches and I'm sure his passion for his job and the company was a huge part in his success.
Another thing I learned was that he wasn't always this exuberant guy. In fact, up until university he was actually quite shy. He said that when he was at university, he was the manager of the American football team and he had to talk to the team everyday and he had to overcome his shyness and his hatred of talking publicly to get through to the team. They didn't want to listen to him as much as he didn't want to stand up in front 100 American football players and speak.
He overcame this and that is where he learned his passionate nature, for want of a better expression.
This just goes to show that you can overcome shyness. This just goes to show that you don't have to use shyness as an excuse.
By the way, it is not an illness it is something that you have developed over the course of your lifetime and like anything, you can change that.
Why don't you try something today to get out of your comfort zone?
Why don't you say to yourself that I will beat this shyness? I wont let it get the better of me.
Why don't you say to yourself that if Steve can do it, so can I?
Now is the time to make that decision.
I have made that decision. Why don't you come along with me for the ride?
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