Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone

by Satya Nadella

I wanted to read this book for two reasons: both my recent trip to India and because I heard that Satya has a daughter with a learning disability. Since I have a brother who is developmentally disabled, I thought it would be interesting to learn how the author's personal situation might influence his business perspective.

Having read numerous business books, I was very impressed with Satya’s perspective because he credits learning from his daughter and his family. If I were working with Satya, I would have recommended another subtitle which would be something like, "How the Power of Empathy led me to Microsoft’s Soul and a Better Future for Everyone."  What I loved about this book is how Satya weaves in his own personal story (which includes his wife giving him a copy of Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success) and his discovery of the importance of universal empathy through families he met via his daughter.

Throughout the book, Satya shares how he is using empathy to change the culture of Microsoft.  He shares many stories about how emotional intelligence and empathy especially is at the heart of the new Microsoft,  and the AI revolution.  He believes business leaders can change the world if they take their responsibilities seriously and have empathy for all as the driver of innovation. And, if you are following Microsoft's stock price along with the introduction of their new products and stores, you know things are changing for the better.This book is highly recommend for anyone looking for inspiration and facts about what is possible and where business is heading. This quote was particularly inspiring to me:

“My wife, Anu, and I had been blessed with wonderful children, and we’ve had to learn their special needs.  That has changed everything for us. It’s taken me on this journey of developing more empathy for others. And, what gives me deep meaning is that ability to take new ideas and empathy for people: to connect the two and have great impact. That’s what gives me the greatest satisfaction. It's why I work for Microsoft. And, that’s what I aspire for each one of you to do as you work here.”