蓋茨回憶： 納德拉險(xiǎn)些錯(cuò)過(guò)微軟CEO一職
Eleanor Pringle
2025-03-19
? 比爾·蓋茨透露,，盡管當(dāng)年薩提亞·納德拉得到了他和史蒂夫·鮑爾默的力挺,，但他還是險(xiǎn)些與微軟（Microsoft）首席執(zhí)行官職位失之交臂。如今,，納德拉已帶領(lǐng)微軟取得歷史性的成功,。蓋茨在反思領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力時(shí),，盛贊納德拉的共情式管理風(fēng)格，認(rèn)為這與微軟早期的強(qiáng)勢(shì)文化形成鮮明對(duì)比,，并強(qiáng)調(diào)了幽默感和適應(yīng)力在應(yīng)對(duì)挑戰(zhàn)時(shí)的重要性,。
盡管微軟的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力常與比爾·蓋茨的名字綁定，但真正推動(dòng)公司股價(jià)創(chuàng)下歷史紀(jì)錄,、并使其在人工智能和云計(jì)算領(lǐng)域成為關(guān)鍵競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者的,，是現(xiàn)任首席執(zhí)行官薩提亞·納德拉。
然而,，作為如今市值2.9萬(wàn)億美元公司的締造者,，蓋茨坦言，納德拉當(dāng)年差點(diǎn)未能獲得最高職位,，盡管微軟前兩任首席執(zhí)行官蓋茨及其繼任者鮑爾默都支持納德拉,。
如今專注于慈善事業(yè)的蓋茨接受采訪時(shí)表示，他當(dāng)時(shí)在交出公司首席執(zhí)行官頭銜時(shí),，內(nèi)心曾五味雜陳：“說(shuō)到這里我會(huì)哽咽,，因?yàn)檫@對(duì)我意義重大。我有過(guò)兩位繼任者,，天啊,，我多么幸運(yùn)——當(dāng)我投身基金會(huì)工作時(shí)，最困擾我的問(wèn)題就是：我是否會(huì)目睹這家公司身上追求卓越的光輝逐漸消退,？”
“我會(huì)不會(huì)一直被這樣的念頭糾纏：我該回去嗎,？還是不該回去呢？”
蓋茨于2000年卸任微軟首席執(zhí)行官,，由1980年被他招入公司,、擔(dān)任首任商務(wù)經(jīng)理的鮑爾默接棒。
2013年鮑爾默退休時(shí),，外界對(duì)這家全球科技巨頭的新任領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者猜測(cè)四起,。
在與微軟副董事長(zhǎng)兼總裁布拉德·史密斯的對(duì)話中，蓋茨表示：“史蒂夫帶領(lǐng)微軟攀上新高度,，而通過(guò)一個(gè)險(xiǎn)些選錯(cuò)接班人的流程——盡管你（史密斯）,、史蒂夫和我始終堅(jiān)信薩提亞能勝任，且他在駕馭這份至今仍是全球最復(fù)雜的首席執(zhí)行官工作時(shí)表現(xiàn)得比預(yù)期更出色——這一切讓我倍感欣慰,，因?yàn)槿缃裎抑恍枧紶枀⑴c產(chǎn)品評(píng)審,、了解人工智能進(jìn)展，并獲取微軟對(duì)我工作的些許支持,?！?/p>
“這讓我能全身心投入（慈善事業(yè)），同時(shí)享有微軟股權(quán)創(chuàng)造的驚人資源,?！?/p>
蓋茨長(zhǎng)期稱贊納德拉的友誼與領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力,，此前曾向《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》表示，這位接班人在某些方面是更優(yōu)秀的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者,。
2017年,，蓋茨對(duì)《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》表示：“隨著職業(yè)生涯的推進(jìn)，我愈發(fā)重視共情能力,。早年我們瘋狂地追求效率,，整夜泡在辦公室，想著‘你的編程速度慢5%,？那你不適合待在這里’,。那時(shí)的管理風(fēng)格非常硬核?！?/p>
“我認(rèn)為隨著行業(yè)日趨成熟,，人們對(duì)首席執(zhí)行官的期待也在發(fā)生變化。薩提亞天生擅長(zhǎng)與各類人融洽合作,，能以溫和方式指出錯(cuò)誤,，并比我當(dāng)年更善于接受反饋,?！?/p>
《財(cái)富》雜志就此事聯(lián)系微軟置評(píng)，但未獲回應(yīng),。
幽默領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力
史密斯與蓋茨還回憶起2000年代初共同應(yīng)對(duì)反壟斷審判的經(jīng)歷,，當(dāng)時(shí)微軟高管因被指控壟斷網(wǎng)頁(yè)瀏覽器市場(chǎng)而站上法庭。
蓋茨承認(rèn)自己的幽默感或許不適合在法庭作證的場(chǎng)合,，但他強(qiáng)調(diào)這始終是其領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格的重要部分,。
蓋茨反思道：“我不是要博取同情——我的人生無(wú)需任何人憐憫。但我認(rèn)為,，從我們?nèi)绾味冗^(guò)那段可能徹底摧毀公司的危機(jī)中,，可以汲取一些經(jīng)驗(yàn)……在那種高壓下，你必須保持幽默感,?！?
"記得有次庭審休庭時(shí)，書(shū)記員走過(guò)來(lái)對(duì)我說(shuō)：‘蓋茨先生,，我認(rèn)識(shí)幾位拿您獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的人,，您到底在華盛頓干什么？’盡管那天我做了復(fù)雜的證詞,，媒體卻只報(bào)道了這段插曲——這至少讓我當(dāng)時(shí)的公眾形象多了些人情味,。" (財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者：劉進(jìn)龍
審校：汪皓
? 比爾·蓋茨透露，盡管當(dāng)年薩提亞·納德拉得到了他和史蒂夫·鮑爾默的力挺,，但他還是險(xiǎn)些與微軟（Microsoft）首席執(zhí)行官職位失之交臂,。如今,，納德拉已帶領(lǐng)微軟取得歷史性的成功。蓋茨在反思領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力時(shí),，盛贊納德拉的共情式管理風(fēng)格,，認(rèn)為這與微軟早期的強(qiáng)勢(shì)文化形成鮮明對(duì)比，并強(qiáng)調(diào)了幽默感和適應(yīng)力在應(yīng)對(duì)挑戰(zhàn)時(shí)的重要性,。
盡管微軟的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力常與比爾·蓋茨的名字綁定,，但真正推動(dòng)公司股價(jià)創(chuàng)下歷史紀(jì)錄、并使其在人工智能和云計(jì)算領(lǐng)域成為關(guān)鍵競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者的,，是現(xiàn)任首席執(zhí)行官薩提亞·納德拉,。
然而，作為如今市值2.9萬(wàn)億美元公司的締造者,，蓋茨坦言,，納德拉當(dāng)年差點(diǎn)未能獲得最高職位，盡管微軟前兩任首席執(zhí)行官蓋茨及其繼任者鮑爾默都支持納德拉,。
如今專注于慈善事業(yè)的蓋茨接受采訪時(shí)表示,，他當(dāng)時(shí)在交出公司首席執(zhí)行官頭銜時(shí)，內(nèi)心曾五味雜陳：“說(shuō)到這里我會(huì)哽咽,，因?yàn)檫@對(duì)我意義重大,。我有過(guò)兩位繼任者，天啊,，我多么幸運(yùn)——當(dāng)我投身基金會(huì)工作時(shí),，最困擾我的問(wèn)題就是：我是否會(huì)目睹這家公司身上追求卓越的光輝逐漸消退？”
“我會(huì)不會(huì)一直被這樣的念頭糾纏：我該回去嗎,？還是不該回去呢,？”
蓋茨于2000年卸任微軟首席執(zhí)行官，由1980年被他招入公司,、擔(dān)任首任商務(wù)經(jīng)理的鮑爾默接棒,。
2013年鮑爾默退休時(shí)，外界對(duì)這家全球科技巨頭的新任領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者猜測(cè)四起,。
在與微軟副董事長(zhǎng)兼總裁布拉德·史密斯的對(duì)話中,，蓋茨表示：“史蒂夫帶領(lǐng)微軟攀上新高度，而通過(guò)一個(gè)險(xiǎn)些選錯(cuò)接班人的流程——盡管你（史密斯）,、史蒂夫和我始終堅(jiān)信薩提亞能勝任,，且他在駕馭這份至今仍是全球最復(fù)雜的首席執(zhí)行官工作時(shí)表現(xiàn)得比預(yù)期更出色——這一切讓我倍感欣慰，因?yàn)槿缃裎抑恍枧紶枀⑴c產(chǎn)品評(píng)審,、了解人工智能進(jìn)展,，并獲取微軟對(duì)我工作的些許支持?！?/p>
“這讓我能全身心投入（慈善事業(yè)）,，同時(shí)享有微軟股權(quán)創(chuàng)造的驚人資源,。”
蓋茨長(zhǎng)期稱贊納德拉的友誼與領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力,，此前曾向《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》表示,，這位接班人在某些方面是更優(yōu)秀的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。
2017年,，蓋茨對(duì)《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》表示：“隨著職業(yè)生涯的推進(jìn),，我愈發(fā)重視共情能力。早年我們瘋狂地追求效率,，整夜泡在辦公室,，想著‘你的編程速度慢5%？那你不適合待在這里’,。那時(shí)的管理風(fēng)格非常硬核,。”
“我認(rèn)為隨著行業(yè)日趨成熟,，人們對(duì)首席執(zhí)行官的期待也在發(fā)生變化,。薩提亞天生擅長(zhǎng)與各類人融洽合作，能以溫和方式指出錯(cuò)誤,，并比我當(dāng)年更善于接受反饋,。”
《財(cái)富》雜志就此事聯(lián)系微軟置評(píng),，但未獲回應(yīng),。
幽默領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力
史密斯與蓋茨還回憶起2000年代初共同應(yīng)對(duì)反壟斷審判的經(jīng)歷,，當(dāng)時(shí)微軟高管因被指控壟斷網(wǎng)頁(yè)瀏覽器市場(chǎng)而站上法庭,。
蓋茨承認(rèn)自己的幽默感或許不適合在法庭作證的場(chǎng)合，但他強(qiáng)調(diào)這始終是其領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格的重要部分,。
蓋茨反思道：“我不是要博取同情——我的人生無(wú)需任何人憐憫,。但我認(rèn)為，從我們?nèi)绾味冗^(guò)那段可能徹底摧毀公司的危機(jī)中,，可以汲取一些經(jīng)驗(yàn)……在那種高壓下,，你必須保持幽默感?！?
"記得有次庭審休庭時(shí),，書(shū)記員走過(guò)來(lái)對(duì)我說(shuō)：‘蓋茨先生，我認(rèn)識(shí)幾位拿您獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的人,，您到底在華盛頓干什么,？’盡管那天我做了復(fù)雜的證詞，媒體卻只報(bào)道了這段插曲——這至少讓我當(dāng)時(shí)的公眾形象多了些人情味,。" (財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者：劉進(jìn)龍
審校：汪皓
? Bill Gates revealed that Satya Nadella was nearly passed over for the Microsoft CEO role, despite strong support from Gates and Steve Ballmer, but has since led the company to record success. Reflecting on leadership, Gates praised Nadella’s empathetic approach, contrasting it with Microsoft’s early hard-driving culture, and emphasized the importance of humor and adaptability in navigating challenges.
While Microsoft might be synonymous with the leadership of Bill Gates, it is Satya Nadella who has guided the business to a record share price and positioned the business as a key competitor in the AI and cloud computing markets.
Yet Gates, the man who founded the business now worth $2.9 trillion, said Nadella was nearly passed over for the top role. This was despite the fact that the two previous CEOs of the tech giant—Gates himself and his successor, Steve Ballmer—backed Nadella for the job.
Now focused on his philanthropic work, Gates said in an interview this week that it was emotional to hand over the CEO title of the business: “I’ll tear up on this, ’cause it meant a lot to me. I’ve had two successors, and boy, do I feel lucky because as I went off to do the foundation work, the one thing that plagued me was: Was I going to see the company fade in terms of its excellence?
“Would I be haunted by: Should I go back, should I not go back?”
Gates stepped down as CEO of Microsoft in 2000 and was replaced by Steve Ballmer, who had been recruited by Gates in 1980 to be the company’s first business manager.
In 2013 Ballmer retired from the business, with speculation rife about who would take over the leadership of one of the world’s largest businesses.
Speaking to Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Gates said: “The fact that Steve took us [Microsoft] to new heights and the fact that through a process that almost made the wrong decision—although you and Steve and I never wavered from knowing Satya would be good, and he’s been even better at navigating what even today remains one of the most complex CEO jobs in the world—makes me feel so good that I get to just come in and play a very bit role of doing product reviews, learning about AI, getting some help from Microsoft on the work that I’m doing.
“It’s allowed me to throw everything in and to have the incredible resources that my Microsoft ownership created.”
Gates has long lauded Nadella’s friendship and leadership, telling the Wall Street Journal previously that in some respects his successor is a better leader.
In 2017 Gates told the Journal: “I’ve come to value empathy more over the course of my career. Early on we were speed nuts, staying all night [at the office, thinking], ‘Oh, you’re five percent slower as a programmer? You don’t belong here.’ It was very hard-core.
“I think as this industry has matured, so has what’s expected of a CEO. Satya has a natural ability to work well with lots of people, to tell people they’re wrong in a nice way and to let feedback come through to him more than I did.”
Fortune reached out to Microsoft for comment but has had no response.
Leading with humor
Smith and Gates also reflected on their work together in the early 2000s, when the C-suite at Microsoft was pulled in front of an antitrust trial alleging web browser dominance.
While Gates admitted his sense of humor was perhaps not best suited for a deposition, he added it has been an important aspect of his leadership.
“I’m not trying to get anyone to feel sorry for me, my life is not one anybody [should] feel sorry for,” Gates reflected. “But I think there are some lessons out of how we went through what felt to me like it could have killed the company altogether…and so through that intensity, you’ve gotta have a sense of humor.
“There was that time when I was testifying and during the break the clerk comes up to me and says ‘Mr. Gates, I know people who have your scholarship, and what are you doing in D.C.?’ And all my complex testimony that day, the press covered that guy coming up to me and it made me seem at least a tiny bit more human than my image at the time was.”
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