It is not everyday that one gets to witness a cricketing legend like Anil Kumble and an exceptional CEO like Satya Nadella on the same stage. But, a Microsoft event in Delhi was one such occasion where both the greats came together to talk about Nadella's new book—Hit Refresh. Nadella is an ardent cricket fan. In fact, he started as an off-spinner in school. At one point in the conversation, Kumble jocularly remarked that had it not been for Microsoft, he would have had serious competition from the Microsoft CEO!
The duo had a candid chat on the Hit Refresh moments that have transformed their lives. For Nadella, the birth of his son was a big "hit refresh" moment. "The first few years I really struggled with it. And then I decided that I needed to step up as a parent. That was a defining moment", says he.
Nadella's son Zain was born with severe cerebral palsy. The Hyderabad-born tech CEO said that it helped him better understand the journey of people with disabilities and has shaped his personal philosophy.
In the book, he has mentioned how the couple was super-excited about the baby, and how their world turned upside down after he was born. Nadella commended his wife for the way she accepted the child and learnt to deal with his disability.
"Watching her in those first few days, weeks, and beyond taught me a lot. Over time, Anu helped me understand that nothing had happened to me or to her, but something had happened to Zain. As his parents, it was not for us to question "why", but instead do everything we could to improve his life," he said.
When asked about hit refresh moments in his life, Kumble said that India's tour of Australia in 2003-04, where he picked 24 wickets was an important moment in his life. Kumble was going through a bad patch in his life in those days but the series turned out to be great for him and India retained the Border Gavaskar trophy.
There was a discussion on values as well, and the value that Nadella holds dearest is empathy—seeing more of us in them and them in us, to lead, innovate and be a better parent.
The Microsoft CEO spoke about the leadership lessons he learnt on the cricket pitch that he uses even today as CEO to compete vigorously, and with passion, in the face of uncertainty, putting the team first and bringing out the best in everybody.
According to Nadella, there are three key technologies that will lead to massive shifts in our economy and society—mixed reality, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. These three currently independent threads will ultimately converge in the future where quantum computing will make artificial intelligence more intelligent and mixed reality even more immersive experience.
