A gate drive system comprising: a wide bandgap switch, WBG switch,; a control switch conductively coupled to control terminals (212, 213) and a gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the WBG switch and the control switch are configured to have a common threshold voltage; the control switch having a first current carrying terminal and a second current carrying terminal, where the first current carrying terminal is conductively coupled to a first control terminal and the second current carrying terminal is conductively coupled to the gate terminal of the WBG switch; characterized in first and second shaping circuits (204, 206), wherein the first shaping circuit is coupled, in parallel to the control switch, to the first and second current carrying terminals (228, 229) of the control switch; and the second shaping circuit is coupled between the second current carrying terminal of the control switch and the gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the first and second shaping circuits (204, 206) and the control switch are configured to define an operation signal, the operation signal being configured to activate the WBG switch, a profile of the operation signal being based on electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits (204, 206) and the control switch, wherein the operation signal is formed by three shaping phases (504, 505, 506), a first shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits (204, 206), a second shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the second shaping circuit and the control switch, and a third shaping phase is defined by the control switch. a wide bandgap switch, WBG switch,; a control switch conductively coupled to control terminals (212, 213) and a gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the WBG switch and the control switch are configured to have a common threshold voltage; the control switch having a first current carrying terminal and a second current carrying terminal, where the first current carrying terminal is conductively coupled to a first control terminal and the second current carrying terminal is conductively coupled to the gate terminal of the WBG switch; characterized in first and second shaping circuits (204, 206), wherein the first shaping circuit is coupled, in parallel to the control switch, to the first and second current carrying terminals (228, 229) of the control switch; and the second shaping circuit is coupled between the second current carrying terminal of the control switch and the gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the first and second shaping circuits (204, 206) and the control switch are configured to define an operation signal, the operation signal being configured to activate the WBG switch, a profile of the operation signal being based on electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits (204, 206) and the control switch, wherein the operation signal is formed by three shaping phases (504, 505, 506), a first shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits (204, 206), a second shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the second shaping circuit and the control switch, and a third shaping phase is defined by the control switch.