10 Greatest Leaders of All Time & Their Teachings

Leaders in the business world are someone people can look up to. Leaders and their teachings help various young businessmen and aspiring entrepreneurs to build their business empire in the world. Every young businessman needs a role model and choosing one of the best mentors that one can look up to and learn from their method of overcoming and navigating hardships.

We have handpicked some of the great leaders of all time around the world who have made a business empire on their own and have a legendary fan following all around the world - people who look up to these leaders for inspiration and motivation.

10 Great leaders of the business world

In this blog, we discuss some of the most notable business leaders in the world such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Ratan Tata and many others who made a mark in the world despite their lack of opportunities and hardships.

1. Bill Gates

Quote: “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”

Bill Gates is perhaps the biggest business leader of all time and is a notable person in the business world with millions (and billions at one time) to his name, all thanks to a simple, innovative idea that revolutionized personal computing. Not only did Bill Gates found and designed the number 1 Operating System that exists today - Windows, his efforts in expanding his line of business to integrate multiple devices to share the ecosystem.

Although his efforts towards phones and tablets did not work, he still dominates his industry by following one simple mantra: Persistence in the face of adversity. When asked what advice he would give to young entrepreneurs, he quoted his simple mistake of not including android at the time to his ecosystem to which he regrets and advises to think futuristically.

2. Henry Ford

Quote: "The short successes that can be gained in a brief time and without difficulty, are not worth much."

Henry Ford helped form the mass production technique that is followed till date to create commercial vehicles and cars. He was the American industrialist that created the company Ford which still is one of the preferred original American car makers with a few successful models. Henry Ford was a pure industrialist and helped cut down the costs associated with making cars and helped streamline the assembly line process, which in turn revolutionized the mass production of automobiles and heavy equipment manufacturing. His vision made Ford, the car company, one of the most popular and largely sold cars that reached the pinnacle of consumer cars, commercial vehicles and even racing!

His teachings in industry optimization, production and cost cutting measures are still relevant even to this date and help students and aspiring engineers in the automobile industry.

3. Warren Buffet

Quote: "The worst sort of business is one that grows rapidly, requires significant capital to engender the growth, and then earns little or no money."

Warren Buffet is the man who taught the world of investing as a source of income. In a world where going to work and getting paid was the norm, Warren buffet started ‘investing’ in shares at a young age of 11. Today sitting atop $113B, he is one of the richest men in the world and has more wisdom to share than anyone else about Wall street. He owns the Berkshire Hathaway which owns a bunch of companies around the world that still make him money.

He is one of the wisest economists of the world and has helped many individuals and students to help set their finances right by studying the stock market and beginning to invest in companies for a lifetime of savings and income. He is also a notable philanthropist who advises rich companies and personalities to help serve the community by donating.

4. Ratan Tata

Quote: “None can destroy iron, but its own rust can. Likewise, none can destroy a person but his own mindset can.”

Born into a simple family in India and dominating many industries and markets around the globe today, is a humble and wise man - Ratan Tata. His brilliance, a keen eye for business and market acumen has made him one of the biggest entrepreneurs, business holders and of course, one of the richest men in the world. Ratan Tata has dived into almost all kinds of businesses and industries head first and has dominated everything including Automobiles, Fuel and energy, steel, education, FMCG, Hospitality, Airlines etc.

His teachings, dedication, hardwork and morals in business are highly revered by young entrepreneurs and he stands as an icon for almost all businessmen around the world. His story of establishing one of the biggest businesses is astounding and inspiring.

5. Steve Jobs

Quote: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

Steve Jobs was a miracle inventor and one of the sharpest minds in the technology world. His innovation, hardwork and business acumen helped him create Apple Inc, which is one of the biggest tech companies in the world today with some of the most futuristic devices and concepts. Steve Jobs began his business with his friend who then worked for HP to design the first ever personal computer Apple 1 from their home garage no less, but today, Apple is synonymous with everyone who loves their phones and personal computers sleek, fast and elegant. Steve Jobs was a visionary and his ideas were unlike anyone in the industry.

His relay into the business world was cut short because of an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer which rendered him weak and absent for long durations. His dedication, hard work and sharp mind had no comparison and stands as a legendary businessman of all times.

6. Elon Musk

Quote: “Take risks now. Do something bold. You won’t regret it.”

Elon Musk is currently the 2nd richest man on earth with some of the most technologically forward companies to his name. This powerful industrialist and tech geek is one of the icons in the automobile and space industry. Although most people agree that his innovative streak is not for the common man, he is one of the most sophisticated businessmen of all times and owns some of the most futuristic companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company etc.

His newest venture, taking on Twitter has raised quite the news around his venture into social media and software. His penchant for technology, his keen eye for business opportunities and his sharp mind is inspirational. He is also a budding philanthropist.

7. Jack Ma

Quote: "A good boss is better than a good company.”

Jack Ma was born and raised in the poorest part of China - his story is one of those that gives simple entrepreneurs and a common man hope. Being truly transported from rags to riches because of his revolutionary idea - his company AliBaba created a platform that is unlike anything at that point of time. In a country that had some of the best products and businesses but lacked the method to sell outside, his platform gave businesses the voice and means that they needed. Today Alibaba is one of the biggest online platforms that enables businesses to sell their products all over the world in the simplest of manners.

Jack Ma is one of the most humble, dedicated and hardworking businessmen one would ever come across and his dedication and business acumen is truly inspiring.

8. Jeff Bezos

Quote: "One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out."

Jeff Bezos is currently the third richest man in the world and was once the first before handing down a significant portion of his wealth to his former wife and for funding smaller companies and startups. Jeff Bezos is the mastermind behind the Amazon eCommerce website that has today transcended beyond their selling platform to include a whole variety of business verticals such as paid OTT platforms, music and entertainment, Web services and many more.

Jeff Bezos began his small eCommerce platform company by simply integrating sellers with buyers on a small computer in his family home garage. Today, this is a whooping business that turns around millions and billions of dollars in revenue. Jeff Bezos is an angel investor and shares his revenue to fund startups and help many young companies to launch their business.

9. Mark Zuckerberg

Quote: “Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.”

Mark Zuckerberg is one of the youngest idols on this list. He came up with the concept of facebook at just 19 years old. Today, he is one of the youngest billionaires and is a notable philanthropist at a young age. He changed the course of facebook from being just social media apps to the Metaverse, which is now a whole ecosystem for people to interact and communicate with each other. His technological curiosity, hardwork and dedication to his projects made him one of the best tech businessmen in the industry.

Today, Mark Zuckerberg has become one of the biggest advocates for world health and is on a mission to donate his life earnings to various causes related to health and wellness in the world.

10. Richard Branson

Quote: “You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”

Sir Richard Branson is British and is the founder of the Virgin and Virgin Atlantic and Galactic group of companies. He is one of those businessmen who tried many businesses before he found his winning streak with the Virgin group eventually founding a whole empire of business conglomerates all around the world. He first started his business startup with a records company that grew into Virgin Records that sold millions around the world.

He sold his company and now owns many different businesses but majorly the Virgin Atlantic and the Virgin Galactic companies. He also owns the Virgin Orbit space mission which has currently halted operations. His work and business acumen has been penned down in books and he is a notable figure in the business world.

Conclusion

Many people have managed to come into the business world but only a few of them have been able to become notable leaders and philanthropists by earning a credible reputation in the industry. Leaders are not born, but created. The difficult situations and the competition in the world of business makes these innovators of business strong, dedicated and the leader they are today. Their stories are legendary and serve as inspiration for all the young entrepreneurs.