Model, Coach, Care from Microsoft

Beauty in simplicity at Microsoft

Way back in history, I had the privilege of partnering with Microsoft to deploy their Executive Bench Program. A uniquely designed four part development for leaders identified as part of the succession planning process.

The four components were:

Values Based Leadership - shining a light on the corporate values and ensuring that leaders lived by them and modeled the way.

Leadership Communications - focusing on the quality and frequency of clear, compelling, consistent leadership communications.

Leadership Strategy - delivered by Wharton Business School, the focus shifted to business strategy and finance for the non financial manager.

Leading at Microsoft - the capstone session delivered by executive team members providing a unique lens into leading Microsoft at a macro level.

One of the early participants in the Executive Bench Program was current CEO Satya Nadella.

Under his leadership Microsoft has totally transformed both from a business and a culture perspective. The formula continues to be refreshingly simple and is summed up in three words:

MODEL COACH CARE

It doesn’t need to be complicated. There’s beauty in the fact that Nadella can articulate this leadership philosophy in 51 seconds. Now that’s great leadership communications!