Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was among the 17 people who were conferred with the Padma Bhushan award this year, which is India’s third highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.
The Indian-American business executive received the Padma Bhushan honour alongside his peer Sundar Pichai for the Trade and Industry category.
Satya Nadella, who hails from Hyderabad, became the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of technology giant Microsoft in 2014. This came after a long stint with the company that lasted for almost 25 years. During these years, he thrived at the company to slowly reach to its heights, securing a top level position for himself.
Here are 5 Lessons We Can Learn From Microsoft CEO and Padma Bhushan Awardee Satya Nadella
– Learn to be patient. Satya Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992 as a young engineer, when he was only 25 years of age. From there, he quickly climbed up though ranks and in 1999, Nadella became vice president of Microsoft bCentral. There, he was in charge of leading web services for small businesses. He stayed in the company for over two decades, securing his position and eventually becoming the CEO of the tech major.
– Your passion can be useful at your profession too. Apart from being fond of poems, Nadella is a cricket buff. Hailing from a country that worships the sport, Nadella lived at a time when his hometown Hyderabad was producing cricketing icons like ML Jaisimha, Mohd Azharuddin and VVS Laxman. Nadella learned from the sport too. “I think playing cricket taught me more about working in teams and leadership that has stayed with me throughout my career,” Satya Nadella had said after being appomted as Microsoft CEO.
– Never give up. Satya Nadella, born on August 19, 1967, went to the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. He did not succeed in his first attempt at entering the IIT but later studied in and Manipal Institute of Technology, from where he got his bachelor’s degree. From there, Nadella earned his MS in computer science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and even did an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
– Know who you work for. Nadella’s experience of 22 years gave him an edge over others, as nobody knew the consumers and products of Microsoft better than him. This gives a good example of the benefits of working at a single company, rather than looking to land your dream role early in your career.
– Invest wisely. Satya Nadella, as a CEO, saw his company fail at different segments. After taking over in 2016, he noticed that the company was failing in the mobile sector, and quickly took the decision of not investing in the front. Instead, he redirected the business and shifted its focus on to other areas like cloud computing and augmented reality. In 2016, he played a key role in purchasing LinkedIn, which turned out to be a huge success. Under the Padma Bhushan awardee, Microsoft became one of the most valuable companies in the world.