SEATTLE (Diya TV) — During a recent interview with Microsoft President Brad Smith, co-founder Bill Gates reminisced about CEO Satya Nadella’s leadership, admitting that early doubts regarding Nadella’s fit have been erased by his outstanding performance.
Gates and the then-CEO Steve Ballmer had championed Nadella’s nomination but were not quite sure if he was the best fit to head Microsoft. Gates commended Nadella’s compassionate and inclusive leadership manner, which differed from Microsoft’s previous hard-edged culture. He pointed out Nadella’s inherent capacity for teamwork, giving feedback, and staying open to ideas.
Looking back at the history of Microsoft, Gates saw that the company’s culture had grown up during Nadella’s leadership. He compared the earlier days of strong work habits with the expectations now of a CEO in a mature industry.
Since Nadella took over in 2014, Microsoft has become a cloud and AI leader in its own right, recording historic-high share prices and making numerous investments and acquisitions, including LinkedIn and GitHub, that have diversified the company’s portfolio and cemented its position in the market.
Gates was pleased with the direction of the company, praising Nadella’s skill at managing difficult challenges and bringing innovation. He underscored that Nadella’s leadership has surpassed expectations, leading Microsoft to new success in an ever-changing industry.
