Satya Nadella
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Situational Background
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO since 2014 (chair since2021), is widely recognised for curiosity, empathy, and purposeful renewal. He shifted culture from certainty to learning, pairing clear strategy with humility and inclusion. Nadella sets simple narratives, invites challenge, and links outcomes to customer success. He invests in people, partnerships, and accountability while modelling respectful candour. Distinctive for combining optimism with discipline, he empowers teams to experiment, measure, and improve. His leadership emphasises growth mindsets, shared purpose, and durable trust—qualities that travel well across industries and sizes, from boards to frontline teams.
Practical Leadership Principles
1) Curiosity with purpose.
Ask better questions to unlock better work.
Behaviours to model:
- Begin reviews with “what we learned.”
- Seek one contrary view before deciding.
- Turn insights into one small, time-bound experiment.
2) Empower people, expect accountability.
Trust teams with autonomy and hold them to outcomes.
Behaviours to model:
- Name a single owner per goal.
- Agree on measures up front.
- Celebrate learning, not just wins.
3) Communicate simply and often.
Clarity reduces friction and speeds action.
Behaviours to model:
- Share a one-page intent: problem, plan, proof.
- Repeat key messages across channels.
- Close each meeting with who/what/when.
Call to action
Choose one decision to frame with a question, one owner to empower, and one message to simplify. Share the plan and the measure of success in writing.
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