*By Carlo Versano* *As Cheddar reflects on 2018, we are profiling the most innovative, flamboyant, and often-controversial entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who delivered the year's most memorable moments in business. Of the CEO Class of 2018, who was crowned Biggest Flirt? Class Clown? Most Likely to Succeed? Check [here](https://www.cheddar.com/tags/cheddar-awards) for all the Cheddar Awards and more year-end coverage.* The age of the rock star CEO arguably began with Bill Gates, whose stewardship of Microsoft in the 1980s and 90sー and the personal fortune he amassed ー paved the way for other chief executives to become celebrities in their own right, from Steve Jobs to Elon Musk. But in a year of power defined by brashness and unfettered tweeting, it was the CEO who flew under the radar that showed real leadership. Satya Nadella, the current head of Microsoft ($MSFT) but an unknown to many Americans, rose through the ranks at Microsoft before taking over the top spot from Steve Ballmer (another rock star [CEO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14b-C67EXY)) in 2014, becoming only the third chief executive in the company’s history. His leadership style is at odds with a more mainstream image of successful CEOs.He isn’t flamboyant, eccentric, or loathed by a significant portion of the population. And as Nadella’s cohort of top tech CEOs found itself ensnared in scandal, controversy, and disappointment throughout the yearー from [data breaches](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/facebook-cambridge-analytica-explained.html) and embarrassing [exposés](https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-exposed-user-data-feared-repercussions-of-disclosing-to-public-1539017194) to pot-smoking podcast [appearances](https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/tech/elon-musk-joe-rogan/index.html) and Twitter [meltdowns](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1026872652290379776?lang=en) to [bad press](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/backlash-already-mounting-over-amazon-s-choices-hq2-n935666) and [missed targets](https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-stop-disclosing-iphone-ipad-mac-unit-sales-quarter-2018-11)ーNadella quietly steered Microsoft back to a symbolic victory: it became the most [valuable](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/microsoft-and-apple-vie-for-title-of-worlds-largest-company) public company in the world for the first time since 2002, and will likely end the year with the crown. For a man whose name would elicit little more than a shrug from most people, that’s a sleeper success story for the ages. Nadella’s keynote addresses have been compared to [homilies](https://www.zdnet.com/article/satya-nadella-microsofts-first-futurist-ceo/), in which he sermonizes about the future of humanity and the role of technology in the world, instead of product releases. Reporters find him hard to cover, struggling to find the easy headlines. President Trump, who has spent the year vilifying tech’s top CEOs, has notably left Nadella off the list. And in Redmond, where it matters most, the 51-year-old Indian immigrant is beloved. A recent survey commissioned by Comparably, a platform that rates companies based on anonymous employee responses, named Nadella the top [CEO](https://www.comparably.com/blog/best-ceos-2018/) of 2018. He received a score of 82 from employees, beating out the also-popular chiefs of Home Depot ($HD)and Google ($GOOGL) for the top spot. As outlined in a recent Forbes profile, Nadella’s leadership philosophy can best be illustrated by how he sought to acquire Github, which he finally executed in 2018 after years of flirtation. Nadella was in the process of acquiring LinkedIn when he [asked a Microsoft employee](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/12/10/exclusive-ceo-interview-satya-nadella-reveals-how-microsoft-got-its-groove-back/#585ec4577acb) about GitHub: “Have we earned their trust?” In an industry built on growth multiples and for a company best known for its voracious appetite for swallowing up competitors, the question indicated that Nadella was a different kind of executive. And in the endー to the surprise of Silicon Valley prognosticators ー Github chose Microsoft over Google; Nadella’s leadership was reportedly a major factor. GitHub is a community of open-source software developers who would have every right to be skeptical of Microsoft's motives. Ballmer once famously called Linux "a cancer," and Microsoft spent years in court with Linux fighting over patents. But the animosity ended under Nadella's reign. He had Microsoft join the Linux Foundation two years ago, paving the way for the GitHub acquisition. Jim Zemlin, the head of the Linux Foundation, [called](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/blog/microsoft-buys-github-the-linux-foundations-reaction/) it “pretty good news for the world of Open Source and we should celebrate Microsoft’s smart move." While Nadella flew under the radar during certain moments, he spoke up in others. When the Trump administration’s child-separation policy exploded into controversy over the summer, Nadella called it “abhorrent” and said Microsoft did not provide services or products for ICE related to the policy. Microsoft employees petitioned Nadella to cancel the contract it did have with ICE, which was mainly for administrative work, according to the company. Nadella has so far not acquiesced to the demand. In carefully choosing his battles, Nadella displayed a quiet, but distinctive leadership style that's a sharp contrast to the way we have come to think of chief executives from the boardroom to the Oval Office. And he reminds us of the virtue of being a sleeper success.

Share:
More In Politics
High Stakes and Rising Tensions In Ukraine
Tensions in Ukraine continue to rise. According to NATO and U.S. officials, Russian troops are still being built up despite Moscow's claims of de-escalation. However, Ukraine does not believe the troops are enough to mount an invasion. The government in Kyiv has also reported several cyber attacks against its defense agencies and banks which is the largest attack in the country's history. Foreign Affairs Reporter based in Ukrain, Terrell Starr, joined Cheddar to discuss more
Breaking Down the Senate's Latest Kids Internet Safety Legislation
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
Investors Could Still Face 'Rockier' 2022 Following Release Fed Reserve Minutes
The Federal Reserve minutes from its January meeting are indicating it's sticking to an interest rate hike in March, but what does the report coupled with ongoing inflation mean for investors going forward? Scott Brown, a market strategist at LPL Financial, joined Cheddar News to break down the minutes and talk about how investors might navigate the rest of the year. "it seems like the market is kind of inclined to trade off these headlines, really, through the first half of the year," he said. "And then, oh, don't forget, we've got midterm elections, which always tend to add a little bit of volatility in the second half of the year." Brown noted that the path forward for stock investors in 2022 would be "rockier" than last year.
New Senate Bill Would Require Big Tech to Provide More Protections for Kids
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a new bill to afford greater protection to minors on social media. The genesis of the Kids Online Safety Act came from a Facebook whistleblower case exposing the harm apps can have on the mental health of young girls.
Canada Initiates Emergencies Act as 'Last Resort' to End Protests
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a national public order emergency as a 'last resort' to restore order after protests have significantly disrupted daily life and impacted the local economy since the protests began. It is the first time in 50 years a Canadian government has taken this type of action. Myah Ward, breaking news reporter at Politico, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Behind the Sandy Hook Settlement With Gun Maker Remington
Almost a decade after facing a parent's worst nightmare, the families of the young students killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting reached a settlement with gun manufacturer Remington, makers of the Bushmaster AR-15 used in the crime. David Pucino, deputy chief counsel, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence joined Cheddar News to discuss the families' case and how its strategy brought about the legal settlement. "They built a really great case showing the way that Bushmaster developed its advertising to drive sales using those toxic messages.
Western Drought Worst In 1,200 Years
A new analysis reveals that for more than two decades, the West has been the driest it has ever been since 800 A.D. The drought which began in 2000 has brought more devastating wildfires and draining water reserves well below healthy levels. Climate Scientists and Adjunct Associate Research Scientist at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University,Benjamin Cook, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Load More