Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella On Becoming a 3rd Leader

Lead In 30 Podcast

He is the opposite of Elon Musk and "Founder Mode" being promoted by some of the loudest voices in business today. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talks about human-centered leadership. It's what Lone Rock Leadership Co-Founder Russ Hill says is the core of the 3rd Leader approach advocated in the Lead In 30 course. Staya Nadella transformed Microsoft from a competitive, siloed culture into a collaborative powerhouse that grew from $300 billion to $3 trillion in market value.
Link to full interview between Adam Grant and Satya Nadella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0E8eUQ5KXg

• Contrasting leadership styles: "founder mode" (directive, demanding) vs. "third leader" (participatory, human-centered)
• Microsoft's extraordinary growth under Nadella: 10x market cap, over 1,000% stock price increase
• The "Model, Coach, Care" management framework that develops great managers
• How psychological safety and vulnerability create better business outcomes
• Growth mindset as a core cultural principle: transitioning from "know-it-alls" to "learn-it-alls"
• The power of continuous learning through daily human interactions
• Leadership that values both high performance and human dignity
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About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

Chapters

1. Microsoft CEO on Leadership and Humility (00:00:00)

2. The Leadership Debate: Founders vs Third Leaders (00:03:37)

3. Microsoft's Remarkable Transformation Under Nadella (00:08:02)

4. Model, Coach, Care Management Framework (00:13:01)

5. Creating Psychological Safety and Vulnerability (00:17:12)

6. Learning From Every Interaction (00:19:36)