Bill Gatesfounder of Microsoft and a global leader in innovation, chimed in as he always does at the end of the year Picking the most impressive reads of 2025offers a compendium of essential strategic wisdom for leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs seeking… Overcoming economic and technological uncertainty in 2026.
Gates’ list is not just a literary recommendation; It is a roadmap for professional development, focusing on leadership under pressure, communication, the future of the planet, and long-term vision.
Next, we analyze the five management themes extracted from the readings recommended by the Microsoft co-founder for this new course:
Leadership in crises and long-term vision
Recommended portals “Who Knew”, the autobiography or memoir of Barry Diller, A media and business giant with a strong influence on Paramount and Fox. In it, Flexibility and anticipation As pillars of good management.
Barry Diller is a case study in disruptive vision. Gates highlighted Diller’s ability to do this “Bet on ideas before they are clear.”with great results that continue to pay off.
Economics of Sustainability and ESG
Choose the founder of Microsoft “Clear the Air” by Hannah Ritchie. Although profitability remains the main goal, the pressure for sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards is growing significantly globally, impacting investment and the value chain.
Gates describes Ritchie’s work as one of the clearest and most practical explanations of the climate challenge, centered around 50 big data-backed questions and answers.. For Argentine companies that export or seek international financing, integrating sustainability is not an option, but a competitive necessity. Modern management requires not only financial efficiency, but also responsible management of resources and social impact. This book provides the analytical framework necessary for leaders to design a credible and profitable ESG strategy.
The American millionaire and philanthropist states that Ritchie’s proposals are “realistic about risks and focused on data that shows real progress.” He also highlighted the explosive growth of solar and wind energy, the falling cost of electric cars and innovations in areas such as iron, cement and environmental fuels.
The power of communication and knowledge
Another recommendation was “When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows” by Steven Pinker, which is a theory Team or group management In it “Shared knowledge” facilitates social coordination.
“Although the topic is somewhat complex, the book is easy to read and practical, and it made me see my daily social interactions in a new light,” Gates said. He stressed that progress depends not only on good ideas, but also on systems that facilitate their dissemination. The lesson for leaders is to focus on creating an environment in which information flows freely, trust is the basis of decision-making, and a critical factor in increasing productivity and morale in high-pressure environments.
Purpose and personal transformation
Although reading fiction is not his style, the tech billionaire also chose Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures as his recommended reading for 2026. Although it is a novel, Gates recommended it because it made him think about “the world.” The challenge of filling the days after you stop working“And how Communities help seniors find purpose.
Gates’s thinking highlights that the search for meaning goes beyond financial success and that creating a culture that values individual contribution throughout working life is one of the pillars of humanitarian leadership in the 21st century..
The economy of abundance and the myth of scarcity
The book “Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is a continuation of the concept of the economy of abundance already developed by Klein and one of the most interesting books for the founder of Microsoft. Gates frequently challenges the scarcity mentality that dominates much of the economic conversation, especially in countries with high inflation or currency restrictions (such as Argentina)..
By recommending Abundance and analyzing how innovation solves chronic problems, Gates turns management’s focus on it The human ability to find large-scale solutions. Klein and Thompson’s thesis is that progress depends not just on good ideas, but on the systems that help those ideas spread. The book’s challenge, he explains, is how countries can rebuild their capacity to do great things.
Bill Gates’s recommended book list for 2026 is a reminder that effective leadership in the digital age requires intelligence A hybrid mindset: technologically advanced, ethically responsible (ESG) and humanely resilient. For Argentine executives, these readings are an invaluable asset to raise the strategic perspective above the situation and prepare their organizations for global transformation.