Fortune #22

When Satya Nadella became Microsoft's CEO in 2014, he inherited a company full of talented people, but internal competition and the need to appear right could obstruct collaboration. Nadella promoted a move from a “know-it-all” culture to a “learn-it-all” culture, making curiosity and growth more valuable than displaying possession of every answer.

Empathy was central to this approach. Nadella argued that solving customers' problems required listening for needs they might not yet express clearly, while collaboration required allowing another person's information to change our view. Microsoft increasingly worked across teams and formed partnerships with companies it once treated mainly as rivals.

Listening here was not silence while preparing to speak. It opened the possibility that another person possessed a missing part of the picture. A strong listener need not agree with everything. They reflect accurately, ask for clarity, and answer what was actually said rather than what they predicted would be said.

In your next conversation, set the smaller goal of understanding one thing correctly before offering an answer. Listen to the end, then say, “I understand that your main concern is… Is that right?” If you are wrong, let the other person correct you without defense. A few seconds of space may reveal information that changes the decision and assures the speaker they are not talking alone.