The Changing Face of Microsoft
Nadella: The Changing Face of Microsoft is a concise, insightful account of Satya Nadella the man and the professional, and what his appointment as the third CEO of Microsoft means for the future of the tech industry The appointment of Satya Nadella, the man from Hyderabad, as CEO of Microsoft Corp. has sent waves of curiosity, speculation and expectation through the tech world at home and abroad. What drives the man chosen to lead tech giant Microsoft into the future? What does Nadella’s appointment in particular herald for Microsoft and, indeed, for the tech industry as a whole? Nadella: The Changing Face of Microsoft brings together reportage, interviews and analysis to provide a comprehensive look at:
Engaging and informative, this book will enlighten as much as it will inspire.
(Extracted from Part 1: The Learner)
‘I am a learner. The thing that I realized is, what excites me is that I'm learning something. I can learn something about some area. I can learn something from people. I can learn something from doing things differently. And I admire that in other people, too. I fundamentally believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great and useful things.’ – Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella was born in Hyderabad, to a Telugu family from Anantpur district. His father, B.N. Yugandhar, an IAS (Indian Administrative Services) officer was a professional in his own right and had a sterling career. He was a member of the Planning Commission between 2004 and 2009 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and worked extensively on projects related to poverty alleviation, rural development and safety net programmes, among other things. Yugandhar was posted at Hyderabad as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (he later served here as the District Magistrate) when Satya was born in 1967. The level-mindedness of B.N. Yugandhar and Satya’s mother, Prabhavati Yugandhar, is evident in the manner they handled the news of the immense success of their forty-six-year-old son. Nadella’s own reaction to his elevated status at Microsoft was no different from theirs.
The initial years of learning
The first phase of what is now popularly referred to as Nadella’s ‘continuous learning attitude’ kicked off at Hyderabad Public School. Hyderabad Public School was established in 1923, and was known in those days as the Jagirdar College. ‘Jagirdar’ was a title given to feudal superiors who were granted a specific territory, or jagir, by the ruler or monarch of the place as a token of recognition for their service to the ruler. A jagirdar was usually a minister in the court of the monarch and, as far as his jagir was concerned, the de facto ruler of the territory. He could impose taxes on the people who occupied or worked on his land and was granted magisterial authority by the monarch. While the system of allocating jagirs started in the thirteenth century, it gained currency and official recognition under the Mughal emperor Akbar’s rule. It was later adopted by several other rulers and subsequently continued by the British East India Company. In British-ruled India, when the Jagirdar College was first established in 1923, admission to the institute was reserved exclusively for the children of jagirdars and other aristocrats. After Independence, India abolished the jagirdari system, and a year later the Jagirdar College at Begumpet, Hyderabad, was rechristened Hyderabad Public School, or HPS, as it is popularly known today. HPS is built on a sprawling 160-acre campus, and its magnificent construction ranges from the contemporary to the erstwhile Qutub Shahi style of architecture seen predominantly in Hyderabad. The notable fact about HPS is that while it was brought into existence as an exclusive seat of learning for the privileged children of aristocracy, the standout examples from the school have actually comprised children from regular families with little or no connection to nobility. And Satya Nadella is not the first man from this category to pass out of the hallowed portals of HPS. Shantanu Narayen (CEO, Adobe Systems), K.K. Reddy (the sixteenth chief minister of Andhra Pradesh), Harsha Bhogle (celebrity journalist and cricket commentator), Baron Billimoria (Chairman, Cobra Beer) and Talat Aziz (legendary ghazal singer) are just a few among the institute’s long list of high achievers.
At HPS, Nadella’s life was influenced by two very distinct experiences. The first was a girl called Anupama, his schoolmate and friend, whom he would marry several years later. Like Nadella, Anupama was also an IAS officer’s daughter. Her father, K.R. Venugopal, happened to be a former batch mate of B.N. Yugandhar, Nadella’s father. A lasting friendship began between the two young people that culminated in marriage in 1992. The second was something that most Indians would identify with – the incredible game of cricket. In his interviews and addresses, Nadella repeatedly alludes to his fondness for the game. While growing up, it was one of his passions. He played for his school, though by his own admission he wasn’t one of the most promising players on the school team. There were several others who were more proficient. Nadella, however, picked up much more from the sport than mere skill. As he has expressed it, ‘Perhaps, more than anything, I think playing cricket for HPS taught me more about working in teams and leadership that has stayed with me throughout my career.’
In an interview with Adam Bryant, conducted after Nadella’s appointment as the CEO, Nadella narrated a particular incident from his cricket playing days at HPS. Nadella was bowling and the captain of the school team observed that he could do a better job of it. He took over from Satya and bowled a spectacular over to give their team the fillip it required. Then, to Satya’s amazement, the captain threw the ball back to him and asked him to take over the bowling once again. A flurry of questions went blazing through Nadella’s mind, he says. What made him do that? Is this what they call leadership? In the interview, he goes on to say, ‘I will never forget that. These are the kind of questions I have since reflected on as I approach many of the things I do today leading teams.’
This section mainly includes Q&A on the book. Some questions however may be about the author too. In case you have any queries that are not covered here, you are welcome to write to Jagmohan Bhanver on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Alternatively, you may write to him at jagmohan.bhanver@iifmonline.com
Nadella: The Changing Face of Microsoft is an incisive and inspiring book on Satya Nadella; the man from Hyderabad who has created history by becoming the third CEO of Microsoft worldwide. But it just doesn’t limit itself to his becoming head honcho for one of the most revered companies in the world. The book actually traces Nadella’s early life and his several achievements that led to his meteoric rise within the software giant. And it also provides interesting and rare tidbits about Microsoft that are not common knowledge. Therefore, the book in a way continuously moves between the man (Satya Nadella) and the organization (Microsoft) he leads today.
Certainly not! This book is about Nadella the person; not Nadella the IT man. It’s an interesting and inspiring read and people from any background or sphere in life will find it equally entertaining and motivating.
The book is divided into five logical parts. Each section deals with specific stages in Nadella’s life and shares relevant incidents and facts about that stage. The fifth and last part (The Next Act) is actually an attempt to look into the future to see what Nadella must do to propel Microsoft back into the leadership slot it once occupied.
The book has been structured in such a manner that each section provides a more or less independent account of Nadella and Microsoft. However, if one were to read it from cover to cover, it shouldn’t take a person more than three hours to finish the same.
In the entire forty years of Microsoft’s history, this is the third CEO the company has announced. The first was Bill Gates, the man who founded the organization. The second was Steve Ballmer who was an erstwhile friend of Gate’s at Harvard. Both these men were very intricately connected to Microsoft. One founded the company, and the other was amongst the first few employees.
However, Nadella was more of an outsider. He was not from Harvard or any of the usual Ivy league colleges. Neither was he an IIT-IIM alumnus from India. More importantly, he was an immigrant to the USA and by the time he joined Microsoft the company was already a legend in some sense. For Nadella to have beaten these odds and finish the race ahead of several other stalwarts is definitely an inspiring story for a lot of people out there. I’m hoping after reading this book, not only will a lot of us know more about Nadella, but there will be a few who will go on in life to equal or surpass whatever Nadella has achieved till now.
Hachette India approached me and asked me if I would be interested to write a book on Nadella. This was the time when Nadella had begun to make waves globally with his ‘Mobile first, Cloud first’ slogan and the battle for the CEO of Microsoft was in full form. I was initially a little hesitant as at that time I was trying to give the finishing touches to my novel, The curse of Brahma (this is the first part in a Krishna trilogy).
However, I had always been fascinated by Nadella and I realized he could possibly be an inspiration for thousands of Indians and youngsters from other nations. I decided to take a break from the novel and told Hachette I would love to do the book. Hachette commissioned the book and we started the arduous process of giving shape to a book that we felt could inspire several people across the globe.
Not at all. The Curse of Brahma was published in 2015 by Rupa Publications and struck an instant chord with lovers of mythological fiction and those who are interested in reading about the prequel to the immensely inspiring and exciting Krishna. The next two volumes of the Krishna trilogy are ready and these will soon be ready for release.
Well, I love interacting with people. This was one of the main reasons I left a lucrative banking career a decade back. The idea was to have more time and freedom to interact with people, without having any specific agenda in mind.
I would therefore be very happy to interact with people on any of the social media platforms where I am present. The preferable ones would be Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.