A lesson in leadership by Satya Nadella
When I was Promoted to Technical Fellow, I was “invited to the room”, joining Microsoft’s other Senior Executives. It was really something. Achieving the Senior Executive status is often mistaken for a comfortable reward, a final destination with enhanced perks and support. A more fitting analogy is reaching the NFL Super Bowl. You are now part of an elite team where nothing less than peak performance is acceptable. As the Navy SEALs put it, “The only easy day was yesterday”. You can feel that energy when you walk in the room.
I didn’t know what to expect but what I got changed my worldview and my life.
The meeting began with Satya having all the new executives stand for a round of applause. Once we were seated, he delivered the most concise, precise, and actionable lesson in leadership imaginable—a lesson I believe everyone could benefit from. As I recall, he said:
Welcome to the room!
Congratulations …. your days of whining are over.
In this room, we deliver success, we don’t whine.
Look, I’m not confused, I know you walk through fields of shit every day.
Your job is to find the rose petals.
Don’t come whining that you don’t have the resources you need.
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