The Golden Key to Success from the CEO of Microsoft揭秘微软CEO巴尔默成功之道

While Mr. Ballmer, who has been at the helm of Microsoft since 2000，is known for his eccentric personality and episodes of excitable public behavior, he gives sound and structured advice to business leaders about how he approaches his work at Microsoft.

He says that there's a stereotype that innovation happens at a rapid fire pace, but he doesn't agree-he thinks that companies should invest in innovation over a long period of time.“Hardly anything in the tech industry went from rags to riches overnight，”he explains. And while talking about and emphasizing a culture of innovation is crucial for a company's success, he says，“there must be a limit when a company reaches a larger size.Cultures of innovation don't mean that everybody gets to reinvent the wheel six times.The need for a certain level of persistence and tenacity is I think a surprisingly important part of innovation.”

And when it comes to making decisions, he'd rather not have to do it very often, but instead thinks a leader should delegate as much as possible, rather than running a company that has to come to him for every single one. While he does make the big choices, such as whether or not Microsoft will invest with a certain company, and will sign off on decisions that other people have made，“the number of decisions that I actually have to make myself is relatively low，”he says.

In the same vein, Mr. Ballmer is not a big believer in micromanagement.While he admits that he does have what he refers to as an“Anglo-Saxon personality”in which he likes to see evidence and detail in order to feel comfortable with certain principles, he would rather ask questions that require discussions of detail, as opposed to blatant micromanagement.

巴尔默先生从2000年开始执掌微软，他的古怪性格和易激动的公众行为是出了名的。以自己如何在微软开展工作为例，巴尔默给商业领袖们提出了合理和条理分明的建议。

巴尔默说，人们总是认为市场上的创新均以闪电般的速度出现，但他并不认同这种陈词滥调。他认为，公司应当对创新进行长期投资。他解释道：“科技行业没有什么会在一夜之间发家致富的。”尽管谈到并强调了创新文化对一家公司的成功至关重要，但巴尔默也说：“当公司达到更大的规模时就必须有所限制。创新文化并不意味着每个人都要去频频炒冷饭。我认为，我们需要一定程度的坚持和坚忍，这对创新具有意想不到的重要性。”

谈到做出决策时，巴尔默情愿自己不需要非常频繁地做决定，他认为一个领导者应当尽可能地放手，而不是事必躬亲地去运营一家公司。不过，一些重要决定确实需要他来拍板，比如微软是否投资某家公司之类的决定，而且他也得签字确认其他人的决定。巴尔默说：“我真正必须自己做决定的数量非常低。”

同样，巴尔默也不太相信微观管理。尽管巴尔默承认，他的确有所谓的“盎格鲁-撒克逊性格”——要看到证据和细节才能对某些原则放心，但他还是情愿问些需要详细讨论的问题，也不喜欢大张旗鼓的微观管理。

实战提升

核心单词

helm[helm]n.领导地位

stereotype['stiəriəutaip]v.使成为陈规

delegate['deligeit]v.授（权）；把……委托给

vein[vein]n.气质；倾向

blatant['bleitənt]adj.公然的；露骨的

财经知识一点通

长期投资（long-term investments）

不满足短期投资条件的投资，即不准备在一年或长于一年的经营周期之内转变为现金的投资。企业管理层取得长期投资的目的在于持有而不在于出售，这区别于短期投资。

微观管理（micromanagement）

亦作微观管理学、微管理学、微管理或显微管理学，是商业管理的一种管理手法，与宏观管理的理念相反。在这种手法里，管理者通过对被管理者（员工）的密切观察及操控，使被管理者完成管理者所指定的工作。相对于一般管理者只对较小型的工作给予一般的指示，微观管理者会监视及评核每一个步骤。

翻译练习

Cultures of innovation don't mean that everybody gets to reinvent the wheel six times.

And when it comes to making decisions, he'd rather not have to do it very often, but instead thinks a leader should delegate as much as possible, rather than running a company that has to come to him for every single one.

ln the same vein, Mr. Ballmer is not a big believer in micromanagement.