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Why did Gregory VII become closely associated with the Gregorian Reform?

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Gregory VII excommunicating Henry IV — St. Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII, after his expulsion from Rome, laying a ban of excommunication on the clergy “together with the raging king” (Henry IV of Germany), drawing from the 12th-century chronicle of Otto of Freising; in the library of the University of Jena, Germany.

Pope Gregory VII (reigned 1073–1085) is the namesake of the Gregorian Reform because he was its most forceful advocate and the primary figure who institutionalized its ideals. His association with the movement stems from his zealous defense of papal primacy and his efforts to restore the moral integrity and independence of the church.12

Gregory became the central figure of this reform through several key actions:

Moral Advocacy: He aggressively campaigned against simony—the buying and selling of ecclesiastical offices—and mandated clerical celibacy to ensure the clergy remained distinct and devoted to their spiritual duties.312
Centralization of Power: He sought to limit lay interference in church affairs, most notably by prohibiting lay investiture, and insisted on canonical elections for bishops and abbots.12
Papal Authority: Through the Dictatus papae, he asserted that the pope, as the successor to St. Peter, held supreme authority over the church, effectively spinning a web of governance that centralized power in Rome.2