Microsoft’s Satya Nadella was almost passed over for CEO. It’s a lesson in spotting promising talent

Quick Summary:

Microsoft founder Bill Gates admitted that he overlooked Satya Nadella for the CEO role.

That’s why he urges executive search committees to ask themselves a hard question: Are we resisting this candidate because they’re wrong for the role—or because they challenge our assumptions of what a leader should look like?

But Fazen warns that one of the biggest pitfalls in succession planning is sticking to conventional, outdated CEO archetypes.

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Article Details

Author / Journalist: Lily Mae Lazarus

Category: EconomyBusiness

Markets: United States

Topics: Next to Lead Business Strategy Satya Nadella Corporate leadership Decision making Leadership advice Skills Leadership changes Business leadership Chief executive officer (CEO) Trends Bill Gates C-Suite Succession planning Microsoft Management advice

Source Website Secure: Yes (HTTPS)

News Sentiment: Negative

Fact Checked: Legitimate

Article Type: News Report

Published On: 2025-03-24 @ 10:43:22 (4 days ago)

News Timezone: GMT +8:00

News Source URL: fortune.com

Language: English

Article Length: 470 words

Reading Time: 3 minutes read

Sentences: 5 lines

Sentence Length: 94 words per sentence (average)

Platforms: Desktop Web, Mobile Web, iOS App, Android App

Copyright Owner: © Fortune

News ID: 27273730

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About Fortune

Main Topics: EconomyBusiness

Official Website: fortune.com

Update Frequency: 31 posts per day

Year Established: 1929

Headquarters: United States

News Last Updated: 9 hours ago

Coverage Areas: United States

Ownership: Independent Company

Publication Timezone: GMT +8:00

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Publisher ID: #95

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