Bill Gates: Closet Chassid??

The concept of going off by yourself to think and meditate is called Hisbodedus. It is a very powerful tool for connecting to the Master of the Universe and is something that we could all benefit from. Although not an original Chassidic concept, it is a very fundamental part of Breslov Chassidus and was something promoted very heavily by Rebbe Nachman.

I raise this because yesterday's Wall Street Journal had a fascinating page-one article (available on-line only by subscription) of Bill Gates' annual "Think Week". Each year, Gates goes by himself to a secluded cottage somewhere along the Pacific Ocean and reads scores of papers on all kinds of topics prepared by various Microsoft groups throughout the world. He works at least 18 hours a day and rarely leaves the cottage. He is completely alone except for one attendant who prepares his two meals per day.

Gates marks up the reports (he reads more than 100 during Think Week) and sends emails all over the world in response to the ideas presented in the reports. Following Think Week, there are follow up meetings and discussions all over Microsoft in reaction to Gates' comments and suggestions. Over the years, Think Week has spawned many of the new ideas that have been very successful for Microsoft.

Not that Bill Gates needs my approval, but, as a business matter, I think the concept of a "Think Week" is brilliant. We do not spend enough time thinking, either by ourselves or as teams. While I have no use for touchy-feely seminars that supposedly build team work and make you "think outside the box", I do believe in executives spending time together to think and exchange ideas.