Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives—the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It’s about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and “hit refresh” in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal.

Microsoft’s CEO tells the inside story of the company’s continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. Satya Nadella explores a fascinating childhood before immigrating to the U.S. and how he learned to lead along the way. He then shares his meditations as a sitting CEO—one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He tells the inside story of how a company rediscovered its soul—transforming everything from culture to their fiercely competitive landscape and industry partnerships. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of technology and by exploring the potential impact to society and delivering call to action for world leaders.

“Ideas excite me,” Nadella explains. “Empathy grounds and centers me.” Hit Refresh is a set of reflections, meditations, and recommendations presented as algorithms from a principled, deliberative leader searching for improvement—for himself, for a storied company, and for society.

Foreword / by Bill Gates -- From Hyderabad to Redmond: how Karl Marx, a Sanskrit scholar, and a cricket hero shaped my boyhood -- Learning to lead: seeing the Cloud through our Windows -- New mission, new momentum: rediscovering the soul of Microsoft -- A cultural renaissance: from know-it-alls to learn-it-alls -- Friends or frenemies?: build partnerships before you need them -- Beyond the Cloud: three shifts: mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing -- The trust equation: timeless values in the digital age: privacy, security, and free speech -- The future of humans and machines: toward an ethical framework for AI design -- Restoring economic growth for everyone: the role of companies in a global society.

Microsoft's CEO tells the inside story of the company's continuing transformation and offers his vision for the coming wave of intelligent technologies. He examines how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform, how they must 'hit refresh' in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal. Yet he feels strongly that one of our essential qualities -- empathy -- will become ever more valuable. Satya Nadella also discusses his childhood in India and how he learned to lead along the way. He shares his meditations as sitting CEO -- one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He explains how the company rediscovered its soul -- transforming everything from its culture to its business partnerships to the fiercely competitive landscape of the industry itself. Nadella concludes by introducing an equation to restore digital trust, ethical design principles, and economic growth for everyone.