It is not easy to make people follow you. For that, you have to inspire them, impact their lives for the better. That is what an ideal leader would do. But then, to get acknowledged among the top few in the world, you have to do something with a lasting impression. We have gone through several leaders’ details to create this list of the top 10 successful leaders in the world. Some of them are great innovators, some have a substantial social impact, and some have radically changed the financial scenario.
However, to make the job a bit easier, we have selected only those who are great in terms of a blend of innovation, social and financial impact. It has names who have enthralled and inspired people with their visions and achievements.
1. Steve Jobs
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”- Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is a name synonymous with great vision. He, Ronal Wayne, and Steve Wozniak started Apple from their garage with an idea to challenge the status quo. When others were building computers for multinational companies, Jobs and Wozniak at Apple began building the iconic Apple I for personal use.
Their product was revolutionary in every sense. In fact, others started copying their innovations to stay abreast in the computer race. However, in 1985, Jobs resigned from Apple as his conflict with the then President and CEO, John Sculley, reached unsurmountable heights. Steve Jobs went on to form NeXT, which Apple later acquired. He also invested in Pixar, which Disney later acquired.
In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple and stayed with the company until he died in 2011. During this second phase, he helmed the launch of several products like iPod, iPhone, iMac, iTunes, and others. Industries dealing with smart gadgets witnessed a complete upheaval.
2. Bill Gates
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”- Bill Gates
Steve Jobs’ greatest rival Bill Gates is also a great innovator and always pursued excellence while steering Microsoft forward. He was also the wealthiest person in the world from 1995 to 2007. In 1975, Gates and his friend Paul Allen launched Micro-soft, which they later registered as Microsoft in 1976. In 1985, Gates launched Windows, an operating software that has become standard software for several computer manufacturers.
In 2000, Gates launched a charitable foundation named Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through this foundation, he has been doing some serious philanthropic works. Among these, his donations to further the research works of diseases like Malaria and Polio have garnered him accolades.
3. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is many entrepreneurs fused into one. In SpaceX, he is the founder, CEO, CTO, and chief designer. In Tesla, he is one of the early-stage investors, CEO, and product architect. He is also the founder of The Boring Company and co-founder of companies like Neuralink and OpenAI.
In 1995, Musk founded Zip2 with his brother Kimbal, and Greg Kouri. In 1999, Compaq acquired the company. The same year, he co-founded X.com, a company dedicated to online payment services, which Confinity later acquired for their product PayPal. Today, the polarising individual and genius of the modern world has established his name among the top 10 successful leaders in the world.
Also read: 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders in 2020
4. Larry Page & Sergey Brin
Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the co-founders of Google. They have revolutionized the online searching method. They met each other while studying at Stanford University in 1995, where they gelled well. In 1996, they launched their company Google Incorporated. They acted as co-presidents of the company till Eric Schmidt joined the company as its CEO. In 2015, they co-founded Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. The company has now passed $1 trillion in valuation.
5. Mark Zuckerberg
“I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.” – Mark Zuckerberg
It isn’t easy to find a single person in the urban areas now who hasn’t heard of Facebook. It is a social networking site that has become a lot more than what it was initially meant to be. It has become a commercial space where people can advertise, buy or sell products. What he did with Facebook is far greater than what we usually comprehend. He has transformed the way people share ideas, interact, and present themselves. The company recently bought two other social networking platforms, Instagram and WhatsApp.
6. Jeff Bezos
We don’t go out much to buy things nowadays. We just place orders. Our consumption habit has changed substantially and Amazon.com has a huge role in it. Jeff Bezos, the founder of the company, had come up with the idea of launching an e-commerce platform in 1994. It struck him hard while he was traveling in the backseat of a car.
Jeff Bezos is one of the richest men now. If some sites’ predictions go right, then he has a chance to become the 1st Trillionaire in 2026.
7. Simon Nixon
You have probably never heard of him. But then he became famous only after 2008. He is the one who founded Money Supermarket. The company is known for its site for price comparison of website-based business with a specialization in financial services. The website allows consumers to have a price comparison of products like energy car insurance, travel insurance, home insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and loans. His net worth is now around $1.1Bn, hence cementing his name among the top 10 successful leaders in the world.
8. Travis Kalanick
When we go somewhere now, we don’t wait for a yellow cab. We just reach out to our smartphone and book a Uber. Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, has made life so easy for us. He has revolutionized the fleet system and now others like Lyft have joined the bandwagon. The company is now planning to launch a flying cab service to ensure their riders never get stuck in traffic.
9. Warren Buffet
The Oracle of Omaha is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. His company is known as a multinational holding company. Warren Buffet’s intuition about how the market is going to perform has helped him earn billions. His company also handles stocks worth billions of dollars every year. A lot of people now try to imitate his skillset to earn big. Warren Buffet has followed Bill Gates’ footsteps in donating his fortune for better causes.
10. Sophia Amoruso
Sophia Amoruso is the mind behind the online vintage clothing company Nasty Gal. In 2008, she started the company after she got out of eBay. In 2012, the company was named as one of the fastest-growing retailers. Her marketing strategy made her one of the top 10 successful leaders in the world. The strategy she has adopted is starkly in contrast with that of her peers. She insists on having limited runs for her fashion lines to ensure her clothes get sold at full price.
