Read Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's leaked staff email regarding Charlottesville

The unrest and violence in Charlottesville, VA was absolutely heartbreaking. Never did I think that in 2017 we would have large amounts of White Nationalists and Nazi sympathizers marching in America. It was very scary. To see that on display was bad enough, but when I saw the video of a man driving his car into innocent people -- killing one person and injuring many others -- I was in shock and deeply affected. I have been haunted by the images and videos of that domestic terrorist attack.

I know what you are thinking -- why does this belong on a technology site? Fair point. Today, an email that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent to employees leaked online. Since Nadella is the leader of the company, his words don't just impact the employees internally, they also signal the status of Microsoft's culture and overall leadership. Below are Satya Nadella's words, dated August 14, 2017, as obtained by Mike Murphy of Quartz Media.

This past week and in particular this weekend’s events in Charlottesville have been horrific. What I’ve seen and read has had a profound impact on me and I am sure for many of you as well. In these times, to me only two things really matter as a leader.

The first is that we stand for our timeless values, which include diversity and inclusion. There is no place in our society for the bias, bigotry and senseless violence we witness this weekend in Virginia provoked by white nationalists. Our hearts go out to the families and everyone impacted by the Charlottesville tragedy.

The second is that we empathize with the hurt happening around us. At Microsoft, we strive to seek out differences, celebrate them and invite them in. As a leader, a key part of your role is creating a culture where every person can do their best work, which requires more than tolerance for diverse perspectives. Our growth mindset culture requires us to truly understand and share the feelings of another person. It is an especially important time to continue to be connected with people, and listen and learn from each other’s experiences.

As I’ve said, across Microsoft, we will stand together with those who are standing for positive change in the communities where we live, work and serve. Together, we must embrace our shared humanity, and aspire to create a society that is filled with respect, empathy and opportunity for all.
Feel free to share with your teams.

Satya

We will let Nadella's email speak for itself without commentary. Commenting has been disabled.