CHAPTER 11

The Supporter Style

CEO Use Case: Satya Nadella, a Man of Empathy

When Satya Nadella took over the position of Microsoft’s CEO in 2014, everybody was ready for a change. After all, he was succeeding Steve Ballmer, who, as the previous head of the company, had brought his brass personality to the job and was notoriously famous for his unorthodox public appearances. He often took to the stage while screaming, “I love this company!” and dancing around in a manner that was seen as excessive even by the outlandish standards of Silicon Valley.

But Nadella seemed a bit too much of a change for some; a quiet and unassuming long-time Microsoft ...

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