"We are the only ones who can harness the power of software and deliver it through devices and services that truly empower every individual and every organization. We are the only company with history and continued focus in building platforms and ecosystems that create broad opportunity."
3. Make innovation a priority
Nadella has been described as a "safe choice" in some circles, but his language indicates that he sees himself as anything but - particularly when it comes to innovation.
"Our industry does not respect tradition - it only respects innovation," he's quoted as saying in a separate post on Microsoft's website. "The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we have to move faster, focus and continue to transform. I see a big part of my job as accelerating our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly."
It should be pointed out that Nadella's vision and actions will be heavily influenced by Gates, who has returned to the company as Founder and Technology Advisor following his resignation as chairman. Back in February 2013, Gates lamented Microsoft's innovation strategy (or lack of one) in an interview with CBS and he will be keen to avoid past mistakes.
"What do we do next?," Nadella writes. "To paraphrase a quote from Oscar Wilde - we need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable. This starts with clarity of purpose and sense of mission that will lead us to imagine the impossible and deliver it. We need to prioritize innovation that is centered on our core value of empowering users and organizations to 'do more'."
4. Plan ahead to see 'One Microsoft' through
When Steve Ballmer announced the "One Microsoft" strategy back in July 2013, Nadella was appointed head of one of the company's fastest-moving divisions. As leader of its newly-formed Cloud and Enterprise Engineering Group, he was tasked with realigning some of the company's biggest money spinners including Office 365 and enterprise-centric endeavors such as its Azure cloud platform.
Nadella has made it clear from the beginning that he isn't about to ditch that strategy, which revolves around repackaging software as services and making it available on internet-connected mobile devices as well as desktops. In other words, it's about the company making the transition to the cloud.
He writes: "We have picked a set of high-value activities as part of our One Microsoft strategy. And with every service and device launch going forward we need to bring more innovation to bear around these scenarios."
Taking its existing offerings to the cloud is something Nadella has proven himself capable of. Office 365 Home Premium, which launched in February 2013, has attracted 3.5 million subscribers in its first year. Meanwhile, its Azure cloud platform achieved triple-digit growth in the company's most recent financial quarter.
5. Foster cultural change from the inside
While not necessarily concerning a move around a product, service or "thing," Nadella makes a sustained plea throughout the email to reboot the company's corporate culture from the inside. If you're a glum Microsoft employee that's felt constrained by the company's reportedly fail-safe methods of doing things, Nadella's remarks will come across as something of a call to arms.
"I know it can sound hyperbolic," he writes. "I am here for the same reason I think most people join Microsoft - to change the world through technology that empowers people to do amazing things … we have done it, we're doing it today, and we are the team that will do it again."
However, Nadella warns that cultural change will only come if employees do their "best work" to lead and help drive it. "We sometimes underestimate what each other can do to make things happen and overestimate what others need to do to move us forward. We must change this," he writes.
