Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs

One of the most unconventional things he taught me was that “our highest obligation is to employees and their families. Second is to investors. Third is to the communities we operate in. Obviously don’t ever say this in a board meeting or investor conference”.

And he meant it. When products got cancelled, people got reassigned. Terminations for poor performance happened but were individual cases.

I’m quite sure the idea of firing people to goose the share price never even crossed his mind.