Microsoft CEO, Seeking Growth, Tells Managers: Step It Up

The day Satya Nadella became Microsoft Corp.’s chief executive officer, he invited several dozen vice presidents to breakfast and had a simple, calm admonition for them: “Can you step it up?”

The engineer’s tone was a departure from the yelling and wild gesticulations favored by his salesman predecessor Steve Ballmer and the razor-sharp interrogations of co-founder Bill Gates. Nadella’s approach underlines the low-key and analytical style he brings as CEO since starting the job in February, as he seeks to revamp the world’s largest software maker. Nadella has unveiled plans to cut more than 18,000 jobs, killed unpromising products and boosted sales of computing tools delivered via the Internet, while seeking to reduce the company’s reliance on software installed on personal computers.