Satya Nadella left India for the US on his 21st birthday; how his education led to a 34-year Microsoft career

Satya Nadella’s journey from Hyderabad to the top of Microsoft began with a move to the United States on his 21st birthday. Long before Nadella became the company’s CEO he was a student with an interest in technology, a love of cricket and a family that encouraged him to find his path.

Satya Nadella’s education helped open the door to Microsoft, where he joined in 1992. Over the three decades he moved through several leadership roles before becoming the company’s third CEO in 2014. Nadella’s story is also shaped by lessons about empathy, teamwork and the kind of leader Satya Nadella wanted to become. The inputs are taken from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Microsoft's official website.

How did Nadella’s education shape his career

Nadella grew up in Hyderabad during the 1970s and 1980s. Nadella’s father was an economist and civil servant while Nadella’s mother often focused on whether Nadella was happy rather than on how well Nadella performed at school. “My father was a Marxist economist and civil servant,” Nadella recalled. “He looked at my grades and was amazed someone could be so bad! But he said, ‘It’s a marathon. You’ll catch up.’ My mother’s only question to me was ‘Are you happy?’ ”

Nadella once wanted to be a cricket player. He said later that playing cricket helped him learn things, about leadership and confidence.

“Team sport teaches you about leadership,” he said, recalling a school match when his captain stepped in after he struggled with his bowling. The captain took a wicket and then handed the ball back to him, helping Nadella regain his confidence.

After moving to the United States, Nadella continued his education and eventually earned an MBA while working at Microsoft. When he joined the company in 1992, he commuted between Chicago and its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

How did Nadella rise to become Microsoft CEO

During his career, Nadella led businesses across Microsoft’s enterprise and consumer divisions. He also took charge of the company’s first cloud business, a role that helped prepare him for greater responsibility.

He became CEO in 2014 taking over from Steve Ballmer and following co-founder Bill Gates. Nadella has said he sees himself as a "mortal CEO" who wanted to make Microsoft’s purpose and culture easier to understand.

“We build technology so that others can build technology. We empower people and organizations. That’s our core identity,” he said.

His leadership brought changes to Microsoft’s business strategy and workplace culture. The company became more open to working with competitors and placed greater emphasis on collaboration, diversity and inclusion.

Nadella drew inspiration from Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindsets. His message to employees was simple: “Let’s not be know-it-alls. Let’s be ‘learn-it-alls.’ ”

Why does Nadella believe empathy matters in leadership

Nadella’s understanding of empathy also developed through his family life. After he and his wife, Anu, became parents, their son Zain was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and quadriplegia. Nadella said the experience changed how he understood the world.

“I struggled with it at first, partly because I had all these plans for what life would be. Then I realized I had to step up and do my duty as a father. I began to see the world through my son’s eyes. That’s what empathy is all about.”

He believes the same principle applies to technology and business.

“Empathy has everything to do with work. If innovation is about meeting unmet, unarticulated needs, how can you get in touch with those needs?”

Nadella has reminded leaders to think about the risks that come with artificial intelligence. He points out problems like bias and ethical issues that can arise. He believes it is important for people to take responsibility for how AI's built and how it impacts society.

For those who want to become leaders his message is simple. Focus on doing the work that's right, in front of you. Don't get too caught up in chasing a promotion. Stay grounded. Pay attention to what matters most every day. As Ballmer told him when leaving the CEO role: “Be bold and be right. If you’re not bold, you’re not going to do much of anything. If you’re not right, you’re not going to be here.”