Summary

"At the core, Hit Refresh, is about us humans and the unique quality we call empathy, which will become ever more valuable in a world where the torrent of technology will disrupt the status quo like never before." - Satya Nadella from Hit Refresh

"Satya has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology while also facing up to the hard questions." - Bill Gates from the Foreword of Hit Refresh

The New York Times bestseller Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives--the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It's about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and "hit refresh" in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal.

Microsoft's CEO tells the inside story of the company's continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. Satya Nadella explores a fascinating childhood before immigrating to the U.S. and how he learned to lead along the way. He then shares his meditations as a sitting CEO--one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He tells the inside story of how a company rediscovered its soul--transforming everything from culture to their fiercely competitive landscape and industry partnerships. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of technology and by exploring the potential impact to society and delivering call to action for world leaders.

"Ideas excite me," Nadella explains. "Empathy grounds and centers me." Hit Refresh is a set of reflections, meditations, and recommendations presented as algorithms from a principled, deliberative leader searching for improvement--for himself, for a storied company, and for society.

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this inspiring memoir, Nadella, CEO of Microsoft since 2014, details how the company is undergoing a significant change of mindset, moving away from internal conflict and stagnation and toward "empathy and a desire to empower others." As Nadella reveals his plan for transformation within Microsoft, he weaves in his own personal story and how life events-his emigration from India as a young man, his (initially seemingly disastrous) job interview at the company, the birth of his first child-have influenced his perspective. He shares how his boyhood love of cricket shapes his leadership style today and how having a new sense of mission has reenergized the organization. He touts the wisdom of partnering with the competition, even with rival Apple, in order to meet customer needs, and perceptively speculates about the future of "computer-human relations." Unpretentious and stirring, this well-written book provides surprising and welcome insights into a corporate giant. Agent: Arielle Eckstut, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.