2月4日，微软宣布正式任命纳德拉为微软新任CEO。从去年8月份宣布史蒂夫・鲍尔默退休的消息开始，6个月的时间里，各界都在猜测谁将从鲍尔默手中接过微软的权杖。结果是纳德拉。他算是盖茨的超级崇拜者，比我早一年多加入微软的他，也曾经在Windows部门工作过，我相信纳德拉会把微软文化延续下去。
同时，微软宣布了另一个重大决定：比尔・盖茨卸任微软董事会主席一职，将由约翰・汤普森接任。
盖茨是创始人，而且是最大股东，更是形象代表。他的退出让老微软人，让喜欢盖茨和微软的人伤心。中国文化中，董事长就是企业的“老板”，所以当听到这个消息的时候，很多人表示微软盖茨时代终结了。盖茨不应该卸任，微软几十年风雨里，盖茨一直是每个微软员工的精神支柱，很多人加入或许向往微软，更多的是因为“比尔・盖茨”。
美国的董事会权力太大，真正掌握着公司命运。微软董事会有成员认为，盖茨长期保持董事长的职务，阻碍了微软变革创新，并且他的权力和越来越少的持股不成比例，影响了微软采取新的战略，也会影响下一任CEO对微软进行变革的努力……但在我看来，微软的董事会排斥盖茨，并不明智。
中国人管理看重人情，美国企业在管理上更注重机制，但这种机制并不人性化。人情化、人性化是企业面临危机时最有帮助的力量。微软正处在转型期，鲍尔默已经在逆境中为微软扳回一城，并给微软确定了正确的方向，此时是最需要盖茨的时候。盖茨对于微软来说不仅仅是领导者，他是微软的灵魂，是一种凝聚力。盖茨领导下的微软，不单单是保证正常运转，更大的意义在于帮助企业员工的成长，员工需要一个自己真正钦佩和愿意追随的领袖。很难想象失去领袖的微软将会变成什么样子，很难想象下一任董事长会面临怎样的困境。
我敬佩盖茨，不仅是因为他创造了惊人业绩，更是因为他的远见卓识和让别人变得伟大的做法。盖茨把微软从一个30多人的公司，发展到现在拥有10万员工的商业帝国，从750万美元到现在780亿美元的年收入，创造了一个商界神话。并且，他愿意把微软交给更合适的人来管理，鲍尔默是一个，纳德拉也是。在微软任命纳德拉为微软新任CEO后，盖茨这样评价道：“在公司转型期间，纳德拉是带领公司前进的最佳人选。”这种肯定，是鼓励，也是对这个新CEO的信任。
I admire Bill Gates , not only because he created a stunning miracle, but also because he has a great vision and makes others become great. Microsoft CEO candidates is a non- Microsoft person, Gates must have his reasons, and he is more willing to entrust Microsoft to a person who really likes and understand Microsoft, this is Bill Gates' greatness. However, it is difficult that the new chairman of Microsoft is better than Bill Gates, because no one know Microsoft better than Bill Gates.
On 4th February, Microsoft appointed Nadella as Microsoft 's new CEO. last August, Steve Ballmer retired, in the next six months, all are guessing who will take over Ballmer’s place. The result is Nadella who admires Gates very much and joined Microsoft a year earlier than I, and he also worked in the Windows division. I believe Nadella will continue Microsoft's culture .
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced another major news: John Thompson will take over Microsoft board Chairman which was Bill Gates in the past.
Gates is the founder and largest shareholder and the representative image of Microsoft. His exitance makes the experienced Microsoft people and people liking Bill Gates and Microsoft sad. In Chinese culture, chairman is the company's " boss", so when hearing the news, many people said that Microsoft of Bill Gates era was over. Gates should not retire, in the past decades, Gates was a spiritual pillar of every Microsoft employee, perhaps a lot of people aspire or join Microsoft because of the "Bill Gates ."
Board in the United States has too much power, and holds a company’s destiny. Microsoft Board members believe Bill Gates is the chairman of the board for a long time, hindering the transformation and innovation of Microsoft, in addition, his power and fewer holdings disproportionate, which affects the Microsoft new strategy and also affects the next CEO ‘s transformation...... but in my opinion, it is unwise of Microsoft's Board to reject Bill Gates.
In terms of administration, Chinese people value human, U.S. companies pay more attention to the management mechanism, but this mechanism is not humane. Human and humane is most helpful when the enterprises are facing crisis forces. Microsoft is in the period of transition, Ballmer has given Microsoft in adversity the right direction, and it’s the time that Miccosoft needed Gates mostly. Gates, for Microsoft, is not just a leader, but also the soul, a cohesion of Microsoft. Under the lead of Bill Gates, Microsoft can operate normally, and help employees develop, employees need a leader that they admire and are willing to follow. It is hard to imagine what Microsoft losing leaders will become and what difficulties the next chairman will face.
I admire Bill Gates, not only because he created a stunning miracle, but also because he has a great vision and make others become great. Gates turns Microsoft a business empire with 100,000 employees from a company with over 30 people, $78 billion in annual revenue from $ 7.5 million, creating a business myth. And he is willing to give Microsoft a more appropriate person to manage, Ballmer is one, Nadella too. After Microsoft appointed Nadella the new CEO, Gates commented, " During the transition, Nadella is the best candidate to lead the company forward." this is certainity, encouragement, but also trust on the the new CEO.
