Hit refresh by Satya Nadella - journey from Hyderabad to Redmond
Book Reading Challenge
Hit refresh by Satya Nadella - journey from Hyderabad to Redmond
I got my copy of Hit Refresh from a friend who works as manager at Microsoft in Seattle. In fact, every employee of Microsoft did receive a copy of this book.
The book was in my shelf from 2017, whenever I read I enjoyed a motivational kick.
This is an inspirational book by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. It was basically written keeping in mind Microsoft employees but his insight is beneficial for everybody.
The book is journey of a boy grown up in Hyderabad with writings of Karl Marx through his civil servant father , religious scripture from his mother who was a Sanskrit Scholar and inspiration to play cricket from his Idol Jaisimha to the CEO of worlds’ top company. He was influenced by his father’s enthusiasm for intellectual engagement and his mother’s dream of a balanced life. He attended schools in many parts of India including Shrikakulam, Tirupati, Delhi , Mussoorie and Hyderabad, each had left its mark and remained with him. He wrote that while sitting in his home in Bellevue he sees Mount Rainier which reminds him of Nanda Devi and Banderpunch peaks.
A great guide to boost career and go up the ladder of achieving great leadership qualities. The other aspects of the book include unity amongst employees, relationships, and struggles of parenthood. It also depicts, some problems can't be solved and the only thing one can do is bear with them. There is no exaggeration of the so called philosophy of " nothing is impossible" in the book. It's ideas are truthful and encourages one to stare the hardships in the eye and bear with them. A must read for all who wish to climb the ladder of success!
Nadella was born in Hyderabad, in 1967. His father tried to inspire him to become a great economist by hanging a poster of Karl Marx in his room. Similarly, his mother responded with a poster of the Indian goddess of fortune and prosperity.
But the boy Nadella wasn’t having any of it. His favorite poster was a blown-up image of the Indian cricket star, ML Jaisimha. Cricket proved to shape his future career as a CEO of Microsoft and taught him many life lessons that we can learn from as well.
I have my own take away from this book:
1.Persistent hard work, even if for a short time, pays off. It was in the fall of 1992 when Satya Nadella first set foot on Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington. Windows 95, the most prominent consumer technology product ever developed, was already a big deal. Bill Gates was still somewhat unknown at the time, at least as a public figure.Nadella’s function with the company was to travel around the country, convincing customers to switch to the Windows NT operating system. He was excited to be part of this initiative to get the new system off the ground. But he also wanted to go to business school.The opportunity presented itself when he was offered a slot in the University of Chicago’s MBA program. Not wanting to jeopardize his position with Microsoft, he kept his part-time enrollment in the course a secret. Flying to Chicago for school every weekend while working at Microsoft during the week took two years to pay off finally.By 1994, Nadella completed the MBA and received his first managerial project overseeing the development of the “Tiger Server,” a video on demand (VOD) service. His dedication and hard work left quick impression. It was at this time he was recognized for his efforts by Steve Ballmer, who would later become Microsoft’s second CEO in 2000.
Working with others is greater than raw talent alone. During Nadella’s career at Microsoft, his boyhood dream of becoming a professional cricket player continued to inspire him. His first rule is that whenever he feels intimidated, he knows it is time to compete.During a high school cricket game, he came up against several Herculean players from Australia. Nadella’s coach placed him right next to one of these burly Australians and told him to study his batting technique. It was a lesson to remember. Observing that this player had both strengths and weaknesses, Nadella decided to push his fear far away and focus on competing alone.
2.Always put your team first. He learned that raw talent is vital, but if you’re not prepared to work with others, it’s not enough. Nadella’s thumb rule is to get to know your teammates and play to their strengths. In one game Nadella’s confidence was sagging when his bowling was below par. His captain wasn’t a great bowler himself, but he took charge and kept at it until he got a wicket. He handed the ball back to Nadella to give him the much-needed boost, and he went on to take further wickets.
Applying these rules to the world beyond the cricket field is a good recipe for success.
3.In a world of fierce competition, those that learn to play well with their rivals come out on top.
It’s interesting to see how Nadella approaches the challenge of competitors like Apple. The typical business instinct is to show no mercy in a relentless winner-takes-all battle. Instead, he chooses a different path. He makes an effort to reach out to his rivals and work together.
Nadella believes that working together with Microsoft’s competition doesn’t only benefit the company, but also the world. At an annual salesforce marketing event, he pulled out an iPhone and began showcasing its unique features on the giant screen. This, of course, stunned the audience. How could a Microsoft CEO show off an Apple product like this? What was he doing?
Well, this wasn’t just any iPhone. Nadella was actually using a smartphone running Microsoft software on Apple’s signature iOS. Nadella made an excellent case for combining the two systems to create a unique synergy. Users could have both their Apple iPhones and Microsoft programs like Skype, Outlook, Word, and OneDrive at the same time.
Over time, suspicion and skepticism melted into something that looked more like collaboration. It was Nadella’s openness and willingness to work towards the best solutions that helped the company to prosper.
In concluding remark, Nadella asks , ‘What does it mean to Hit and Refresh?’
He himself suggests to start conversation in your institution as well as in your community.
I got my copy of Hit Refresh from a friend who works as manager at Microsoft in Seattle. In fact, every employee of Microsoft did receive a copy of this book.
The book was in my shelf from 2017, whenever I read I enjoyed a motivational kick.
This is an inspirational book by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. It was basically written keeping in mind Microsoft employees but his insight is beneficial for everybody.
The book is journey of a boy grown up in Hyderabad with writings of Karl Marx through his civil servant father , religious scripture from his mother who was a Sanskrit Scholar and inspiration to play cricket from his Idol Jaisimha to the CEO of worlds’ top company. He was influenced by his father’s enthusiasm for intellectual engagement and his mother’s dream of a balanced life. He attended schools in many parts of India including Shrikakulam, Tirupati, Delhi , Mussoorie and Hyderabad, each had left its mark and remained with him. He wrote that while sitting in his home in Bellevue he sees Mount Rainier which reminds him of Nanda Devi and Banderpunch peaks.
A great guide to boost career and go up the ladder of achieving great leadership qualities. The other aspects of the book include unity amongst employees, relationships, and struggles of parenthood. It also depicts, some problems can't be solved and the only thing one can do is bear with them. There is no exaggeration of the so called philosophy of " nothing is impossible" in the book. It's ideas are truthful and encourages one to stare the hardships in the eye and bear with them. A must read for all who wish to climb the ladder of success!
Nadella was born in Hyderabad, in 1967. His father tried to inspire him to become a great economist by hanging a poster of Karl Marx in his room. Similarly, his mother responded with a poster of the Indian goddess of fortune and prosperity.
But the boy Nadella wasn’t having any of it. His favorite poster was a blown-up image of the Indian cricket star, ML Jaisimha. Cricket proved to shape his future career as a CEO of Microsoft and taught him many life lessons that we can learn from as well.
I have my own take away from this book:
1.Persistent hard work, even if for a short time, pays off. It was in the fall of 1992 when Satya Nadella first set foot on Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington. Windows 95, the most prominent consumer technology product ever developed, was already a big deal. Bill Gates was still somewhat unknown at the time, at least as a public figure.Nadella’s function with the company was to travel around the country, convincing customers to switch to the Windows NT operating system. He was excited to be part of this initiative to get the new system off the ground. But he also wanted to go to business school.The opportunity presented itself when he was offered a slot in the University of Chicago’s MBA program. Not wanting to jeopardize his position with Microsoft, he kept his part-time enrollment in the course a secret. Flying to Chicago for school every weekend while working at Microsoft during the week took two years to pay off finally.By 1994, Nadella completed the MBA and received his first managerial project overseeing the development of the “Tiger Server,” a video on demand (VOD) service. His dedication and hard work left quick impression. It was at this time he was recognized for his efforts by Steve Ballmer, who would later become Microsoft’s second CEO in 2000.
Working with others is greater than raw talent alone. During Nadella’s career at Microsoft, his boyhood dream of becoming a professional cricket player continued to inspire him. His first rule is that whenever he feels intimidated, he knows it is time to compete.During a high school cricket game, he came up against several Herculean players from Australia. Nadella’s coach placed him right next to one of these burly Australians and told him to study his batting technique. It was a lesson to remember. Observing that this player had both strengths and weaknesses, Nadella decided to push his fear far away and focus on competing alone.
2.Always put your team first. He learned that raw talent is vital, but if you’re not prepared to work with others, it’s not enough. Nadella’s thumb rule is to get to know your teammates and play to their strengths. In one game Nadella’s confidence was sagging when his bowling was below par. His captain wasn’t a great bowler himself, but he took charge and kept at it until he got a wicket. He handed the ball back to Nadella to give him the much-needed boost, and he went on to take further wickets.
Applying these rules to the world beyond the cricket field is a good recipe for success.
3.In a world of fierce competition, those that learn to play well with their rivals come out on top.
It’s interesting to see how Nadella approaches the challenge of competitors like Apple. The typical business instinct is to show no mercy in a relentless winner-takes-all battle. Instead, he chooses a different path. He makes an effort to reach out to his rivals and work together.
Nadella believes that working together with Microsoft’s competition doesn’t only benefit the company, but also the world. At an annual salesforce marketing event, he pulled out an iPhone and began showcasing its unique features on the giant screen. This, of course, stunned the audience. How could a Microsoft CEO show off an Apple product like this? What was he doing?
Well, this wasn’t just any iPhone. Nadella was actually using a smartphone running Microsoft software on Apple’s signature iOS. Nadella made an excellent case for combining the two systems to create a unique synergy. Users could have both their Apple iPhones and Microsoft programs like Skype, Outlook, Word, and OneDrive at the same time.
Over time, suspicion and skepticism melted into something that looked more like collaboration. It was Nadella’s openness and willingness to work towards the best solutions that helped the company to prosper.
In concluding remark, Nadella asks , ‘What does it mean to Hit and Refresh?’
He himself suggests to start conversation in your institution as well as in your community.
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